Description
Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle
The Clarksville Chronicle newspaper started publication in 1808 even though no editions exist earlier than 1811. Later, The Tobacco Leaf appeared because of the area's reputation as a center for tobacco growing and shipping. In the beginning, the newspapers began as four-page journals devoted to political news and advertising. Ultimately they became a full-fledged publications that featured more news and community information, in addition to having opinion pages with political views. In 1890, The Clarksville Chronicle merged with The Tobacco Leaf, creating The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle. In the 1970s, the city's name was dropped because of the increased coverage, shortening the title of the current newspaper to The Leaf-Chronicle. Other newspapers such as The New Herald (an African-American newspaper), The Clarksville-Jeffersonian, and The Clarksville Star competed with The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, but they no longer exist. The Leaf-Chronicle became part of the Gannett Newspaper Division In December 1995. The offices of The Leaf-Chronicle were severely damaged by a tornado in January 22, 1999, but the paper was still released the following day, after then publisher F. Gene Washer took editors and reporters into his home to gather news and used the Kentucky New Era's printing press in Hopkinsville. The Saturday edition of The Leaf Chronicle was a complete newspaper that featured eight pages of tornado coverage. Within four days, the staff was able to print from the downtown newspaper press, only slightly damaged. The departments worked out of an empty grocery store for eight months, until the main offices were rebuilt and reopened in the fall of 1999.