Fort Defiance Interpretive Center brings in speaker Jason McGown to talk on “The Importance of Oral Histories” – Clarksville Online

Clarksville, TN – Fort Defiance Interpretive Center will host guest speaker, Jason McGowan, as he presents “The Importance of Oral Histories”  on Saturday, October 8th, 2022 at 11:00am.

McGowan is a research associate with Middle Tennessee State University’s Albert Gore Research Center. At the event, he will explain why Oral Histories are so important for historians to understand past events. 

McGowan believes everyone has a story to tell, and often these stories help historians understand events of the past on a more personal level. McGowan will also describe his current project and look for volunteers to participate in his research.

Telling Tennessee’s History

The speech is part of the Middle Tennessee African American Oral History Project. This project’s goal is to assemble and preserve a vast collection of local African American history via various interviews that chronicle the lives and diverse experiences of African Americans who resided, worked, or went to school in Middle Tennessee during legal segregation or through the implementation of integration. 

This archive will also serve as a permanent celebration of African American families, communities, and achievements in Middle Tennessee. This project is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This is a free event that is open to the public.

For information about Fort Defiance visit ClarksvilleParkRec.com or call 931.645.7476.

About Fort Defiance

The Fort Defiance Civil War Park and Interpretive Center is operated by the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department.

Fort Defiance, which overlooks the confluence of the Red and Cumberland Rivers, was a cornerstone of the Confederate defense of the area and an important part of the eventual Union occupation of Clarksville.  In 1982, Judge and Mrs. Sam Boaz, donated the property to the City of Clarksville.

In 2008, the City secured a $2.2 million federal grant that was combined with local funding and the process of construction of the interpretive center and walking trails began. The more than 1,500-square-foot Center features exhibits about the local area and the fort during the Civil War.

Fort Defiance Interpretive Center is open Monday-Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday, 1:00pm to 5:00pm during the Spring and Summer.

It is located at 120 Duncan Street, Clarksville, TN.

For more information, visit www.fortdefianceclarksville.com

About the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department

Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department provides a variety of indoor/outdoor programs, facilities, nature activities and entertainment events for people living in Clarksville, Montgomery County and Fort Campbell. These free or reasonably priced, year-round experiences help residents enhance their health, wellness, and social engagement — resulting in a stronger, better community.

The Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of recreational facilities and activities for all ages, maintains more than 700 acres of parks and facilities, provides 22 park facilities that offer a variety of amenities, including playgrounds, picnic areas, walking trails and pavilions or picnic shelters and maintains three community centers with year-round programming for youth, adults and seniors, as well as four public swimming pools

The Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department is located at 102 Public Square, Clarksville.

To learn more call 931.645.7476.