Jackson Purchase facts for kids
The Jackson Purchase is a special area in Kentucky, a state in the United States. It's also called the Purchase Region. This area is bordered by three big rivers: the Mississippi River to the west, the Ohio River to the north, and the Tennessee River to the east.
Long ago, the Jackson Purchase was even bigger, stretching into Tennessee. But today, when people say 'Jackson Purchase,' they usually mean just the part in Kentucky. The southern part is now known as West Tennessee.
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Exploring the Jackson Purchase Geography
The Jackson Purchase includes eight counties in Kentucky. This area covers about 3,395 square miles. That's about 6% of all the land in Kentucky. In 2010, about 196,000 people lived here. This was about 4.5% of Kentucky's total population.
Paducah is the largest city in the Purchase. It's also the main center for business and jobs. About 25,000 people live there. The next two biggest cities are Murray and Mayfield. Murray has about 18,000 residents, and Mayfield has about 10,000. Murray State University is the main college in the region.
Counties in the Purchase Region
- Ballard County
- Calloway County
- Carlisle County
- Fulton County
- Graves County
- Hickman County
- Marshall County
- McCracken County
The Economy of the Purchase Region
The Jackson Purchase mainly relies on farming. But tourism is also very important here. Many visitors come for activities on the water. These activities happen at Kentucky Lake. This large lake was created by the TVA. Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River form the eastern border of the Purchase.
A Look at Jackson Purchase History
Kentucky officially claimed this land in 1792. But the United States didn't fully control it until 1818. That year, two important people bought the land. They were Senator Andrew Jackson of Tennessee and former Kentucky governor Isaac Shelby. They bought it from the Chickasaw Native American people. This was done through several agreements, like the Treaty of Tuscaloosa.
Historically, this region was seen as the most "Southern" part of Kentucky. Before the Civil War, its economy depended on large farms. These farms often used the labor of enslaved people. After the war, the Purchase region strongly supported the Democratic Party. For over 100 years, it gave so many votes to Democrats that it was called the "Gibraltar of Democracy." This means it was a very strong Democratic area.
The main newspaper, The Paducah Sun, was once called the Paducah Sun-Democrat. Today, most people in the Purchase region are white. Many African Americans left the area after the Civil War. They also left during the Great Migration in the 1900s.
The Civil War in the Purchase
During the Civil War, the Jackson Purchase strongly supported the Confederate side. On May 29, 1861, some people who supported the South met. They gathered at the Graves County Courthouse in Mayfield. They talked about joining the Purchase with West Tennessee. Many records of this meeting were lost in a fire in 1864.
In 1907, a judge named Herbert Carr said the Mayfield Convention voted to leave the Union. A historical marker at the courthouse also says this. But records from the meeting, written by someone who supported the Union, don't mention this vote. Historians believe the convention thought all of Kentucky would leave the Union. This would make a separate vote for the Purchase unnecessary.
Records do show what the convention agreed on. They criticized President Abraham Lincoln for starting a "bloody and cruel war." They asked Governor Beriah Magoffin to fight against Union forces. They also praised him for not sending soldiers to Lincoln. The convention also criticized giving "Lincoln guns" to Union supporters in Kentucky. The Mayfield Convention was an early step. It led to the later Russellville Convention. That meeting formed the temporary Confederate government of Kentucky.
Since the late 1900s, the Purchase has voted for Republicans in national elections. But people still vote more for Democratic Party candidates in state and local elections. This is a common change seen in other Southern areas. As of 2004, the region had both Republican and Democratic representatives in the Kentucky General Assembly. That year, for the first time, the region elected Republicans for both of its two state senators.
The Purchase is part of Kentucky's 1st congressional district. As of November 6, 2012, most voters in the Purchase were registered Democrats (67%). About 27% were registered Republicans. Democrats in the Purchase are often more conservative than many in the national party.
Famous People from the Jackson Purchase
Many notable people have come from this region, including:
- Alben W. Barkley, who was the Vice President of the United States from 1949 to 1953. He also served as the United States Senate Majority Leader.
- Julian Carroll, who was the 54th Governor of Kentucky from 1974 to 1979.
- Steven Curtis Chapman, a well-known Christian music artist.
- Irvin Cobb, a famous humorist and author.
- Joe Fulks, a professional basketball player.
- Noble Jones Gregory, who represented Kentucky's First District in the United States House of Representatives.
- William Voris Gregory, who also represented Kentucky's First District in the United States House of Representatives.
- Robert H. Grubbs, a scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2005.
- Harry Lee Waterfield, who served as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky twice.
- Frank Stubblefield, who represented Kentucky's First District in the United States House of Representatives.
- Lloyd Tilghman, a Confederate general during the Civil War.
- Steve Finley, a major league baseball player who hit 304 home runs.
- Jackie DeShannon, a singer and songwriter.
