CLARKSVILLE, IN (February 3, 2022) – If you ask anyone about the history of the Town of Clarksville, many will tell you that it was the starting point for Lewis and Clark’s expedition to explore the west. If you ask local resident Lynn Lewis, however, you will learn that Clarksville has a much richer history than just that famous expedition. Did you know “Rosie the Riveter” was from Clarksville? Were you aware that Eleanor Roosevelt once visited our small town and gave a speech at the local high school? Did you know the Colgate Plant was once home to convicted felons?

These are just a few of the many stories that Lynn Lewis is trying to preserve as part of her work with Clarksville’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). Lewis is the Chair of the Commission, which was tasked by the Clarksville Town Council to preserve and honor Clarksville’s rich history. Despite only being given this new charge for the last year, the HPC has already accomplished a great deal. One of those is securing a place in the National Register of Historic Places for Clarksville’s Lincoln Heights neighborhood. Two markers (like the one pictured above), are now located at the entrances to the neighborhood to alert visitors to the historical significance of the area.

We sat down with Mrs. Lewis recently to talk about her work with the HPC, and we asked why she is spending her retirement years working so diligently for the Town of Clarksville. She says it is her goal to preserve the history of the Town for future generations, and to help others learn more about the rich history of our small community. Ultimately, she wants the Town of Clarksville to become an even better place to live. She made sure to stress the word ‘even’, because she says Clarksville is already a great place to call home. Lewis also wanted to stress the work is a ‘Team Effort’ with help from the whole commission.

She also said that with all the new and exciting projects happening around town, it is also important to make sure we are preserving and identifying historical properties in the area. That is why the HPC is currently working to attain historical designations for other Clarksville neighborhoods such as Centralia Court, Patterson
Place and the Clark-McKinley districts.

The HPC has also been hard at work to preserve and protect historical artifacts within the Town. Recently the Clarksville Historical Society ceded the Town’s archival collection to the HPC. The commission then hired an archivist to organize and secure the collection. Soon all Clarksville residents will be able to view the collection.

Although much has been accomplished, Lynn Lewis and the HPC have a long list of projects they hope to tackle in the years to come. Lewis believes that with patience and the support of the Town Council, they will make get it done, one project at a time.