A new book will highlight the history of streetcars in Clarksville, Tennessee.
“A Faster Means of Locomotion: A Brief History of Streetcars in Clarksville, Tennessee,” published by The DeFeo Groupe, an Atlanta-based content creation firm and publisher of Railfanning.org, focuses on the development and operation of the lines. The book will be available starting in August.
Clarksville, Tennessee, has a fascinating railroad history. The push for a railroad in the community dates to the 1830s, but it wasn’t until 1852 that Tennessee chartered the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad.
A street railroad, in one form or another, operated in Clarksville from 1885 until 1928. Mules powered the first cars, and the line later electrified.
What is perhaps most interesting about streetcars in the city is the sheer number of companies organized to operate. Considering the history of the city’s street railway system stretches less than a half-century, its history is dizzying.
For more information, visit railfanning.org.
