Editing Clarksville, Virginia (section)

==History==
Located along the Roanoke River, these lands were for centuries the home to the [[Occaneechi]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. They controlled the junction of several trading paths in the area. The [[Eno-Occoneechee]] tribe are directly descendants of the original Occoneechees and currently reside in nearby [[Vance County, North Carolina]].
[[File:4th St and Virginia Ave - panoramio.jpg|thumb|left|Street scene in Clarksville]]

Clarksville was the first incorporated town in the county of Mecklenburg. In 1818, the town was named after its founder, Clark Royster. Settlers populated the area quickly because of the temperate climate and the fine tobacco soil.

By 1832, Clarksville was recognized as one of the fastest-growing towns in Virginia. The Clarksville Tobacco Market was so large and important that the Roanoke Navigation Company was formed to transport the crop by way of the Roanoke River to [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]], a major export town, and other areas. A plank road was built from Clarksville to Petersburg (distance of {{convert|80|mi|km|-1}} for overland transport. In years to follow, the Roanoke Valley Railroad was built from Clarksville to Manson, North Carolina.

By 1848, Clarksville was known as a major market for leaf tobacco and a tobacco-manufacturing center. Large shipments of tobacco were exported to Europe. In 1860, [[Moss Tobacco Factory|R. H. Moss and Brothers Factory]] in Clarksville was producing more manufactured tobacco than any other establishment in Virginia or the Carolinas. To date, Clarksville proudly claims the title of the oldest continuous tobacco market in the world.

The [[Clarksville Historic District (Clarksville, Virginia)|Clarksville Historic District]], [[Cedar Grove (Clarksville, Virginia)|Cedar Grove]], [[Prestwould]], [[Clark Royster House]], [[Sunnyside (Clarksville, Virginia)|Sunnyside]], [[Patrick Robert Sydnor Log Cabin]], and [[Judge Henry Wood, Jr. House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20100827.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=August 27, 2010|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/16/10 through 8/20/10|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=August 10, 2013|archive-date=August 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821004444/http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20100827.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>