Jackson, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jackson, Tennessee
City
Aerial View of Jackson
Flag Logo
Nickname(s):  Hub City
Location of Jackson in Madison County, Tennessee
Jackson, Tennessee Location in Tennessee Show map of Tennessee Jackson, Tennessee Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Madison
Founded	1821
Incorporated	1845
Named for	Andrew Jackson
Area
• Total	58.75 sq mi (152.17 km2)
• Land	58.74 sq mi (152.14 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	410 ft (125 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	68,205
• Density	1,161.07/sq mi (448.30/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	38301-38303, 38305, 38308, 38314
Area code(s)	731
FIPS code	47-37640
GNIS feature ID	1289178
Website	City of Jackson Official Website: http://www.jacksontn.gov/

Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located 70 miles (110 km) east of Memphis, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population was 68,205 as of the 2020 United States census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee combined statistical area. Jackson is Madison County's largest city, and the second-largest city in West Tennessee after Memphis. It is home to the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for West Tennessee, as Jackson was the major city in the west when the court was established in 1834.

In the antebellum era, Jackson was the market city for an agricultural area based on cultivation of cotton, the major commodity crop. Beginning in 1851, the city became a hub of railroad systems ultimately connecting to major markets in the north and south, as well as east and west. This was key to its development, attracting trade and many workers on the railroads in the late 19th century with the construction of railroads after the American Civil War. Through the 1960s, the city was served by 15 passenger trains daily, but industry restructuring reduced such service and caused the loss of jobs. The economy has adjusted to new businesses, with major manufacturing in the area.

History

Early settlement

Bird's eye view of the city of Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee 1870.

This area was occupied by the historic Chickasaw people at the time of European encounter. They were pushed out by European-American settlers under various treaties.

European-American settlement of Jackson began along the Forked Deer River before 1820, primarily by migrants arriving from eastern areas of the Upper South, such as Virginia and Kentucky. Originally named Alexandria, the city was renamed in 1822 to honor General Andrew Jackson, a hero of the War of 1812. He was later elected as President of the United States.

The City of Jackson was founded by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly, passed in 1821, entitled an "act to establish a seat of justice for Henry, Carroll, Henderson and Madison Counties." The act required 50 acres (20 ha) of land to be deeded to the commissioners. The commissioners chosen by the Legislature were Sterling Brewer and James Fentress. The places considered for the seat of justice were Alexandria, Golden's Station, and Jackson. The larger portion of the settlers at that time were living on Cotton Grove Road, and as Jackson was closer to them than either of the other settlements, the city was determined to be the more suitable site for the seat of justice.

At the time of the second Tennessee State Constitution in 1834, when the Tennessee Supreme Court was established, Memphis had not yet developed. The county seat of Jackson was the most significant city in West Tennessee and this was designated as a site for the State Supreme Court in this part of the state.

The city of Jackson did not establish public elections until 1837, with a Board of Aldermen elected at-large. From 1854 to 1915, Jackson had a Board of Aldermen of eight members elected from four districts, each with two members. No free people of color or any blacks were allowed to vote in the state until after passage of constitutional amendments following the Civil War.

This area was developed for agricultural purposes, especially cotton plantations for producing the chief commodity crop of the Mississippi Valley and Deep South. Cotton plantations were dependent on the labor of African-American slaves and many were brought into the area as it was developed. As county seat, Jackson was a trading town and retail center for surrounding agricultural areas.

Civil War through 19th century

In 1862 Tennessee came under the control of Union forces and was occupied until General Grant decided to concentrate his efforts to the South. Between December 11, 1862 and January 1, 1863, an engagement at Jackson occurred during Confederate Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest's expedition into West Tennessee. Forrest wished to disrupt the rail supply line to Ulysses S. Grant's army, which was campaigning down the Mississippi Central Railroad. If Forrest destroyed the Mobile & Ohio Railroad running south from Columbus, Kentucky through Jackson, Grant would have to curtail or halt his operations altogether.

Forrest's 2,100-man cavalry brigade crossed the Tennessee River on December 17. Grant ordered a soldier concentration at Jackson under Brigadier General Jeremiah C. Sullivan and sent a cavalry force under Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll. Forrest's command defeated the Union cavalry in Lexington, Tennessee on December 18. As Forrest continued his advance the following day, Sullivan ordered Colonel Adolph Englemann to take a small force northeast of Jackson.

At Old Salem Cemetery, acting on the defensive, Englemann's two infantry regiments repulsed a Confederate mounted attack, then withdrew a mile closer to the city. The fight amounted to no more than a feint and show of force intended to hold Jackson's Union defenders in position, while two mounted Confederate columns destroyed railroad track to both the north and south of the town, then returned. Forrest withdrew from the Jackson area to attack Trenton and Humboldt after this mission was accomplished. As a result of the destruction of the railroad, Grant abandoned his plans to invade Mississippi from Tennessee in favor of an attack on Vicksburg. Federal troops left Jackson and moved to Memphis, which became a major center for Union troops for the duration of the war. Forrest returned to Jackson in early 1864 and used the city as his headquarters as his forces attacked Federal positions in northern West Tennessee and Fort Pillow, a Union position on the Mississippi north of Memphis. Forrest returned to Jackson again later that year in preparation for an attack on Federal river traffic on the Tennessee River east of Paris and the supply base at Johnsonville.

With the emancipation of slaves and passage of US constitutional amendments, Jackson's freedmen and formerly free people of color began to participate in the political system. But in the late 19th century, the white-dominated state legislature passed several laws that made voter registration and voting more difficult, including payment of a poll tax, and resulted in reducing voting by many blacks and poor whites.

Geography

Jackson is located at 35°37′59″N 88°49′15″W / 35.63306°N 88.82083°W / 35.63306; -88.82083 (35.633132, -88.820805).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.5 square miles (128 km²), all land.

Demographics

Location of the Jackson-Humboldt CSA and its components:      Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area      Humboldt Micropolitan Statistical Area

Jackson is the larger principal city of the Jackson-Humboldt CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Jackson metropolitan area (Chester and Madison counties) and the Humboldt micropolitan area (Gibson County), which had a combined population of 180,509 at the 2020 census.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 68,205 people, 25,925 households, and 16,075 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 65,211 people, 25,191 households, and 15,951 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,317 people per square mile (423.4/km²). There were 28,052 housing units at an average density of 566.3 per square mile (218.9/km²). Since the 2010 Census, the city has added 9.4459 (24.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.2% White, 45.07% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population.

There were 25,191 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.59% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,169, and the median income for a family was $45,938. Males had a median income of $41,085 versus $30,436 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,762. About 15.6% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36% of those under age 18 and 8.24% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame

Jackson was the site of the now permanently closed International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame Museum, which recognized the contributions of Tennessee musicians to this genre.

Casey Jones Home & Museum on the 45 Highway Bypass

Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum

In 1956, the city of Jackson purchased the Chester Street home of famed locomotive engineer, Casey Jones, to turn into a museum and tourist attraction. The museum opened to the public on April 30, and Governor Frank Clement was the main speaker for the ceremony. In 1978, a proposal to move the home and museum north to a plot of land next to Interstate 40 was approved, though not without much debate. The building was moved that winter.

Ned R. McWherter West Tennessee Cultural Arts Center

As of April 2022, a large portion of the historic Downtown area has been officially designated by the Jackson City Council as the Arts District, and is home to the Ned R. McWherter West Tennessee Cultural Arts Center, known locally as "The Ned," as well as The Carnegie Center for Arts and History. Some of the art that is displayed in the area includes murals, performance art shows, galleries, live concerts, and theatrical/ballet productions. The district is also home to a number of small shops.

Carl Perkins Civic Center

Built in 1973, the Carl Perkins Civic Center is a multi purpose events facility with seating for 2,200. It is named for singer Carl Perkins. The center is located on the south side of the downtown square.

Sports

College Athletics

The city of Jackson is home to a number of institutions of higher learning which offer collegiate sports, including Union University, Lane College, and Jackson State Community College.

Union University has won six national titles (NAIA- 1998, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and NCCAA- 2014) in women's basketball. In 2018, the Lady Bulldogs advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament. In addition to success in women's basketball, Union boasts NCCAA national titles in volleyball (2003), men's soccer (2004), and softball (2001, 2002, 2004, 2013).

Minor League Baseball

The Jackson Generals, a Double-A Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League played at The Ballpark at Jackson from 1998 to 2020. In conjunction with Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, the Generals were not invited to serve as any team's affiliate, effectively ending their run in affiliated baseball. After a legal battle with the city, the Generals ceased operations in 2021 after an arbiter ruled in favor of the city.

Originally known as the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, the team changed its name to the Generals in 2011. The new name was in reference to the Jackson Generals who played in the Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League from 1935 to 1942 and 1950 to 1954. The original Generals were preceded by teams called the Jackson Jays (1926), Jackson Giants (1925), Jackson Blue Jays (1924), Jackson Climbers (1911), and Jackson Railroaders (1903).

With the Generals gone in 2021, the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the independent American Association temporarily moved their operations to Jackson due to COVID-19 restrictions shutting down the US-Canada border, preventing them from playing in their normal home, Shaw Park in Winnipeg. The Goldeyes played 33 games in Jackson before being given permission by the Canadian government to return across the border on August 3.

In 2022, the city of Jackson welcomed back professional baseball in the form of the Jackson Rockabillys of the Prospect League. The Rockabillys play in the city-owned The Ballpark at Jackson, which was previously occupied by the city's minor league franchise.

Other sports

The Hub City Hurricanes of the IBL played in Jackson for one season in 2007.

Jackson Jammers (1992) of the Global Basketball Association (GBA) starting out as the Music City Jammers (1991–92)

In 1974, a little league team from Jackson played in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA – to date, the only team from West Tennessee to qualify.

From 1990 to 2011, Jackson hosted the NAIA Women's Division I National Championship basketball tournament in the Oman Arena.

The Jackson TN Underdawgs have participated in The Basketball Tournament since 2016. The Underdawgs, as their mascot would suggest, have played spoiler in multiple years, defeating some of the tournaments top-ranked teams. In 2021, while ranked the 15-seed, the Underdawgs defeated the number 2-seed in their region. In 2016, they upset the number 1-seed in their region.

Parks and recreation

• Jackson hosts the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant and the Miss Volunteer America Pageant.
• West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex is a travel baseball and softball complex completed in 2007.
• A tennis complex in northern Jackson hosts the City Closed tennis tournament.
• Jackson is home to the Rusty's TV & Movie Car Museum, which hosts a collection of cars that have been shown in TV and film, including the green Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Paul Walker in the original "Fast and Furious."

Education

Colleges and universities

• Jackson State Community College
• Lane College
• Union University
• University of Memphis at Lambuth
• University of Tennessee at Martin – Jackson Center

The following is near the city but in an unincorporated area:

• Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Jackson

Primary and secondary schools

K-12 public schools in the city and county are operated by the consolidated Jackson-Madison County School System. High schools include:

• Jackson Central-Merry Early College High School
• Liberty Technology Magnet High School
• Madison Academic Magnet High School
• North Side High School
• South Side High School

Specialist schools operated by the State of Tennessee include:

• West Tennessee School for the Deaf

Private schools include:

• Jackson Christian School
• Sacred Heart of Jesus High School
• Trinity Christian Academy
• University School of Jackson

Media

Newspaper

Jackson is served by one daily, The Jackson Sun. The Sun is delivered to 13 counties in total and is considered one of western Tennessee's major newspapers.

Television

As of the 2015–2016 television season, the Jackson television market is the smallest market in Tennessee and 176th overall by Nielsen Media Research. The market is served by three major commercial stations: WBBJ-TV 7 (ABC, with CBS/MeTV on DT3), WJKT 16 (Fox), and WNBJ-LD 39 (NBC). Jackson is also served by a PBS member station, WLJT-DT 11, as well as several other low-power stations (among them Antenna TV/MyNetworkTV affiliate WYJJ-LD 27).

Radio

Jackson is serviced by 28 FM and 8 AM radio stations.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Ground transportation

Interstate 40 runs through the city in an east–west direction, connecting the city with Memphis to the west and Nashville to the east. I-40 has six exits in the city. U.S. Route 45 runs in a north–south direction.

The Jackson Transit Authority line provides intra-city bus service, while the Greyhound Bus line provides inter-city service.

Downtown historic district

U.S. Route 45, locally known as Highland Avenue, runs north to south to Gibson County and Chester County. A bypass route of US 45 (known as the Keith Short Bypass) goes through the western part of the city.

U.S. Route 412 runs east from Lexington in Henderson County northwest to Dyersburg, Tennessee, and I-55 reaches westward to St. Louis.

U.S. Route 70 or State Route 1 runs east to west between Huntingdon and Brownsville.

Air service

McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL) serves the city.

Healthcare

West Tennessee Healthcare (Jackson-Madison County General Hospital District), created by a law passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1949, serves as the public hospital system of the city of Jackson. The city appoints some of the members of the board of directors.

Notable people

• Jessi Alexander, singer/songwriter
• Allison Alderson, former Miss Tennessee
• Monroe Dunaway Anderson, born in Jackson, was a cotton trader and capitalist, whose financial endowment helped found the Anderson, Clayton & Company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1904, the M. D. Anderson Foundation in Houston, Texas and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
• Micajah Autry, hero of The Alamo, practiced law in Jackson from 1831 to 1835
• Big Maybelle, R & B singer
• Dick Davis, football player
• Gene Evans, actor, relocated to Jackson after appearing in the film Walking Tall
• Steve Fossett, aviator, first man to fly solo non-stop around the world in a hot air balloon, born in Jackson
• Greg Goff, head baseball coach at Purdue
• Jabari Greer, football player
• Hayes Nance, orthodontist
• Thomas Harris, author noted for his bestseller The Silence of the Lambs, born in Jackson
• Sylvester Hicks, NFL player
• Joe Hunter, pianist, one of The Funk Brothers studio band, played on many Motown hits in the 1960s
• Adam Huntsman, lawyer and politician, defeated David Crockett for Congress in 1835
• Luther Ingram, singer
• Casey Jones, Illinois Central Railroad engineer who, before colliding with a stalled freight train near Vaughan, Mississippi, told his fireman to jump to safety; Jones died at the throttle and saved the lives of all the passengers
• Christopher Jones, actor, born in Jackson
• Ed "Too Tall" Jones, football player
• Jacoby Jones, football player attended Lane College in Jackson
• Van Jones, environmental advocate, civil rights activist, lawyer, born in Jackson
• Fred Lane, football player attended Lane College in Jackson
• Denise LaSalle, blues singer, known as "Queen of the Blues", resident and business owner in Jackson for many years
• Ron Lollar, Tennessee state representative
• Wink Martindale, game show host
• Mike Norton, comic book artist and writer, known for his work on Battlepug
• Kenny Parchman, rockabilly musician
• JR Payne, women's basketball head coach, University of Colorado
• Carl Perkins, singer, lived for years in Jackson; the Civic Center is named for him
• Casey Prather (born 1991), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Lauren Pritchard, soul singer, songwriter and actress, known by her stage name Lolo; born and spent her childhood in Jackson
• Ron Reynolds, Texas politician, born in Jackson in 1973
• Joe Rogers, Sr. co-founder of Waffle House, born in Jackson in 1919
• Josh Robbins, HIV/AIDS activist, blogger, social media marketer, talent agent, grew up in Jackson
• Gil Scott-Heron, musician born in Chicago, Illinois, spent his early childhood in Jackson, at the home of his maternal grandmother
• Charles Alexander Shaw, United States District Court judge
• Trey Teague, football player
• Isaac Burton Tigrett, co-founder of the Hard Rock Cafe chain of themed restaurants
• Al Wilson, football player

See also

In Spanish: Jackson (Tennessee) para niños