We stopped in Clifton because it seemed like a logical thing to do. Clifton is sort of strategically located between Pebble Isle Marina and the Pickwick Lock and Dam complex. A faster boat could make it all the way from one to the other and then on to the marinas and anchor grounds on the other side of the Pickwick Lock. We, however, no longer have enough hours of daylight to make such a long run without running into darkness. The previous night, we anchored behind Double Island as we weren’t even going to make it from Pebble Isle to Clifton. So, it was either run close to 80 miles from Double Island to Pickwick Lock and then a couple more to a stopping place, or run another 10-15 miles to Clifton and stage for the lock from there. We chose the latter. We are very glad we did.
First off, we cannot thank the folks at the Clifton City Marina enough for their gracious hospitality. We had some pretty rough weather for the couple days we were there and so we were basically stuck in heavy rain, fog, and very cold wind. Nevertheless, we were made to feel welcome. There is a restaurant/convenience store/café on the premises. We managed to get well acquainted with the owner of the facilities and ended up spending our evenings visiting with him and his friends who all seemed to gravitate to the facility for cocktails and fun each evening. We had a great time partying with the local folks and as a result, learned a lot about life in this part of the world.
We even had the pleasure to meet Glen, an old guy who recently retired after working as a Chief Engineer and River Pilot for several of the barge companies on the Western River System. He spent more than 50 years running cargo on the rivers. Today he is trying to retire. Unfortunately, due to his inate ability to fix things, he is actually in greater demand now than he was before he retired. I enjoyed talking with him about life on a riverboat and what it was like shoving cargo loads of the rivers. His son is now a river pilot on the lower section of the Mississippi. He's one of those guys at the wheel of a towboat moving 42's up and down the river.
The owner of the facility is an old boy named Gene. His family roots in Waynesboro County reach as deep as the early 1870’s. His great Grandfather, his Grandfather, his Father, and then he were all farmers in the area raising various crops over the years including soybean, corn, and sod, not to mention a variety of livestock. He left the farming business, however, and attended College at Ole Miss University where he earned a degree and a credential as a pharmacist. He has owned a pharmacy for many years and even sat on the State Legislature for a couple terms. His father was a county judge. He and his family might be considered a “leading family” in the Clifton area. It was great to sit and talk with him about the good old days. It was even more interesting to see him walk in one afternoon carrying his rifle and appearing a bit disgusted with the fact that he missed the beaver that has been under A dock munching on the pontoons. (Now that’s not something you see every day at a marina in Southern California).
The manager at Clifton City Marina is a woman named Sonya. She is one of the sweetest people we have ever met. She was all country. She had a big smile and was very helpful and extremely knowledgeable about the area. She is from a farming community in Missouri, but came to Clifton several years ago and married a man called “Coach” and they live on a houseboat in the Marina most of the year. Sonya is one of those “take charge” kind of gals and, although she really had no intention of managing the marina, saw a need, felt a twinge of sympathy for old Gene at a time he was getting ripped off by the help, stepped up, told Gene she would manage the joint, fired all the help, and helped the marina start over. It’s a good thing she did, too. This marina is a small version of a truly 5 star marina that is immaculately clean and loaded to the teeth with facilities for cruising boats. She and Gene spearheaded the effort to completely renovate the marina. I would not pass through here again without stopping in to see Gene and Sonya.
So, Clifton City Marina had a courtesy car. It’s nice showing up after every other downbound cruiser has already passed since there is simply nobody else around. This status seems to afford us the best slips in the marina, not to mention virtually unlimited use of the courtesy cars. So, once again, the keys were tossed our way and we were told to go have fun. So we did. As a result, we learned a lot about this little riverfront town in Waynesboro County, Tennessee.
It is said that, Clifton would not exist without the Tennessee River. In fact, the town got its name because it sits on a "cliff" high above this great River. Historically, there has always been a special link between the river and the town. Clifton's Main Street ends where the town began- on the riverbank. At the end of Main Street, is a very cool memorial/monument decorated with ornamental trees, flowers, and a splendid rock wall and iron gate. To one side is a war/veterans memorial with a lighted American Flag high above. Most important, however, is the vista from this location. When you stand up here and overlook the river, you can begin to understand the historical importance of this town. This is the place where several important river crossings took place during the Civil War took place. The view up here is wonderful even in foul weather. In addition, for generations, the old road stretching down the slope provided access to the historic ferry landing.
The ferry landing and the surrounding riverbank are now silent. The big boats once so essential to the commerce of Clifton stopped docking here decades ago. The gunboats and transports teeming with Yankee soldiers are long gone. The old mail boat is now a fading memory. Even the ferry service that had existed in or near Clifton since 1818 hasn’t run since 1998, shortly after a new bridge opened a few miles upstream.
Settlers first came to the Clifton area in the early 1800's. Clifton was originally called Ninevah, but the name was changed in 1840 when work began on the turnpike. Clifton wasn't really much of town before the turnpike, and the old timers traditionally regard 1840 as the date of Clifton’s founding. As a result of the construction of the turnpike, parts of Southern Middle Tennessee now had access to the river here. In the early days the turnpike was used to important in the transportation of crops from the local farms as well as pig iron from the foundries and furnaces that once prospered throughout the County.
The Civil War was a traumatic event in Clifton's history. While most surrounding communities were loyal to the Union, Cliftonians allied themselves with the Confederacy. In the second year of the war, the Tennessee River became a vital invasion route for Union forces. Clifton, to its great misfortune, was located in a strategic position on that river. Early in 1862 Union forces occupied Clifton, and they stayed here for most of the remainder of the war. The Union stronghold in Clifton was Stockade Hill, and the officers' headquarters were located in what is now the front yard of Frank Hughes School, right smack in the middle of Main Street. Several skirmishes were fought around Clifton, and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest conducted an important raid here in December 1862. Most of Clifton was also burned to the ground by Union soldiers. Legend has it that only four homes in Clifton survived the Civil War. The Presbyterian Church is the only public building still standing from that era. At various times during the war it was used as a hospital and misused as a horse stable by the occupying Union forces. The front of the church still bears the scars of where Union soldiers pulled out part of the brick wall to make a wider opening.
In the decades following the Civil War, during a time when Steamboats were king, Clifton entered its first golden age. During the late 1800's and early 1900's, Clifton was an important river port. Moreover, countless crossties cut from the vast timber resources of this area were shipped from Clifton and used to build the nation’s growing railroads.
Money poured into Clifton like never before. Many of the old homes and buildings in town date from that prosperous era. During those years Clifton developed a reputation as a rowdy place. In fact, it was said that Main Street was once lined with drinking establishments. As such, fights were common and murder was not uncommon. This is not the case today at all. Cliftonians tend to be a peaceful group, and the crime rate is very low.
The "Roaring Twenties" were not good for Clifton. As a result of America’s growing reliance on cars and trucks, the river landing at Clifton lost most of its importance. Major roads and highways were being constructed outside of Clifton. As a result, Clifton entered a long period of gradual decline. In the 1930's Clifton, like the rest of the world, struggled to survive the Great Depression.
During these seemingly dark days, one of Clifton’s residents achieved something great. In 1933 Clifton's own T.S. Stribling won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature with The Store. Today Mr. Stribling's home on Water Street serves as a library and museum.
It was also in the 1930's that another famous man reportedly came to Clifton. German General Erwin Rommel, Hitler's legendary "Desert Fox," supposedly spent a night in Clifton's Russ Hotel while studying the Civil War tactics of Nathan Bedford Forrest.
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| In this building is the Clifton Cafe where they served great catfish. |
Unfortunately, the 50's, 60's, and 70's saw little improvement and actually, the town continued to decline. Most of the businesses on Main Street eventually closed and many of the old buildings remained empty for a long time. Young folks left for better opportunities elsewhere. Many of the greatest old homes and public buildings fell into such a state of disrepair that they had to be torn down. Long time residents of the area like Gene and Sonya still describe the sense of loss experienced when Clifton lost the old Russ Hotel and the original Frank Hughes School building.
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| This used to be a flat brick building until a local contractor bought the building and refurbished the entire building including the installation of the balconies with the very ornate New Orleans style metal work. |
During the 1980’s however, things started looking up. The State of Tennessee built a new prison facility at the edge of town providing much needed jobs. Then, in the early 1990’s, the state built a second and much larger prison facility providing even more jobs. During the next several years, new highways running in several directions through Clifton, as well as a bridge crossing the river a few miles above the town provided the outside world with good access to Clifton.
As a direct result of the prisons and the roads, Clifton transformed again. Its citizens have developed a renewed appreciation for their hometown and took steps to develop new businesses and industries that benefit the locals and visitors. Nobody can argue that the natural beauty of this town provides a draw for visitors. It’s just that nobody marketed this. The new businesses that have developed in the area have provided fresh job opportunities. As a result, folks have moved back to the central part of town. This has led to a movement to restore many of the existing structures and to build new ones. The downtown Main Street looks really cool and most of the town is attractive and well maintained. Frank Hughes School has been enlarged with new classrooms and a spacious new gym. The city has developed new ball fields. Columbia State Community College now has a nice campus in Clifton, and the widely praised new Ross Creek Landing Golf Course (A Jack Nicholas designed course) is located just outside of town. Plans are already in the works to improve recreational facilities along the river. With the dawn of the new millennium, Clifton has apparently entered a new "golden age." Clifton has become a great little town, certainly one we are glad we bothered to visit and explore.
From here, we would conclude our voyage on the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lake and then pass through the Pickwick Lock and onto Pickwick Lake. Recall how I previously described how rivers with navigation dams are really a series of linked lakes. This is true of the Tennessee River.
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