LIFE IN THE 1800s
Historic Collinsville is a rural pioneer settlement featuring authentically restored log houses and outbuildings dating from 1830-1870. The settlement takes visitors from the earliest “first home” to the expansive big house on the hill with separate kitchen, living and sleeping areas. Each home and outbuilding has been painstakingly restored to its original condition and furnished authentically.
Enter into our history and see how life was then lived. Learn what made us “people of strength.” Enjoy the rolling hills of Tennessee, quiet walks or a picnic under the trees while exploring one of the log homes.
This is the land where the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, Iroquois and Shawnee Indians traveled. It is where the soldiers of the North and South met; just 45 miles to the northwest is Fort Donelson National Battlefield, the site of a major Civil War battle. Cotton and sheep were raised by the early settlers and then transported by land and down the Cumberland River, which lies just two miles away. Now, on the same river, the Delta Queen Riverboat slowly slips its way south to Nashville and passes fields of corn, wheat, soybeans and cattle.
THE WEAKLEY FAMILY
In 1974, JoAnn Weakley and her husband Glenn began the work on their dream of rebuilding the settlement of Collinsville. They wanted to establish an area where people of all ages could come and see how our ancestors lived in the 1800s and how these pioneers passed on to us many lessons and values to be treasured. Being a former school teacher, JoAnn believed that children especially should be exposed to these values with a “hands-on” approach. They opened “Historic Collinsville” to the public in 1997 as a 501(c)3 organization. In 2018, to ensure that Collinsville is preserved and the work continues, the Weakleys sold Collinsville to Montgomery County Government. The property is maintained and operated by Visit Clarksville.