▁an ▁early ▁sett ler ▁who ▁founded ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Clark sv ille . ▁It ▁was ▁organized ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 6 ▁when ▁the ▁western ▁portion ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁County , ▁which ▁since ▁ 1 7 9 0 ▁had ▁been ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Territ ory ▁South ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁Ohio , ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁state ▁of ▁Tennessee . ▁( In ▁ 1 7 9 0 , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁had ▁c eded ▁its ▁western ▁lands ▁to ▁the ▁Federal ▁government ▁to ▁create ▁what ▁was ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁South west ▁Territ ory .) ▁The ▁eastern ▁portion ▁of ▁old ▁Tennessee ▁County ▁was , ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁Mont gom ery ▁County ▁was ▁formed , ▁combined ▁with ▁land ▁taken ▁from ▁Sum ner ▁County ▁to ▁form ▁Robert son ▁County , ▁Tennessee . ▁Later ▁acts ▁of ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁General ▁Assembly ▁had ▁further ▁reduced ▁Mont gom ery ▁County ▁by ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁to ▁its ▁current ▁size ▁and ▁boundaries . ▁ ▁Mont gom ery ▁County ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁several ▁early ▁salt p eter ▁mines . ▁Salt p eter ▁is ▁the ▁main ▁ing red ient ▁of ▁gun pow der ▁and ▁was ▁obtained ▁by ▁le aching ▁the ▁earth ▁from ▁several ▁local ▁c aves . ▁Bell amy ▁C ave , ▁located ▁near ▁String town , ▁still ▁contains ▁the ▁remains ▁of ▁two ▁dozen ▁salt p eter ▁le aching ▁v ats . ▁It ▁appeared ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁large ▁operation . ▁ ▁Cooper ▁Creek ▁C ave ▁also ▁shows ▁evidence ▁of ▁extensive ▁min ing ▁and ▁contains ▁the ▁remains ▁of ▁" many ▁salt p eter