[5] Secretary of State Cordell Hull's first law office (now a museum) was located in Clay County.

There were many docks and ferry crossings throughout Clay County to transport local crops and livestock to major markets.

During the Civil War, many skirmishes took place up and down the Cumberland River to control the movement of barges laden with supplies.

The city of Celina is at the junction of the Obey and Cumberland rivers, and it was a major port during the steamboat years between Nashville and Burnside, Kentucky.

The first Clay County Court meeting was held in a store near the river at Butler's Landing on March 6, 1871.

Butler's Landing nearly became the county seat, but Celina won the vote by a narrow margin.

Clay County's rural location has restricted development and attraction of business and industry.

The lack of jobs often results in the loss of educated young people who have limited opportunities locally.

SR 52 has been upgraded to a 4-lane divided highway as part of the Corridor J project, which connects to I-40 in Cookeville, and work continues on developing a new industrial park within the Celina city limits.

[6] The Cumberland River flows through the center of the county from north to south, fed by the Obey River which flows through the city of Celina from its impoundment at Dale Hollow Lake, inundates much of the eastern part of the county.