The city of Jackson officially began July 4, 1829. Through the efforts of several men, Horace Blackman was able to stake his claim of 160 acres as was allowed by territorial law. Although Blackman was not the first to settle in the area he is credited with the first official claim, paying only $2 per acre. On January 16, 1830, the area settlement agreed on the name of 'Jacksonburgh' in honor or President Andrew Jackson.

By the spring of 1831, Jacksonburgh was a busy little village with several people in business. In summer of the same year the first school officially opened. Later in 1831, Jacksonburgh was declared the County Seat by Governor Lewis Cass bringing government to the area and the name was changed to 'Jacksonopolis.' And finally, in 1838, the city became known as simply 'Jackson.' 

In 1839, Jackson was selected as the site for the state’s first prison. Settlers welcomed this influx of inexpensive labor. Prisoners were hired to move stone and undertake other difficult work. The inmates were housed in a wooden facility located on 20 acres of donated land on the site of the present-day Armory at Cooper and North Streets. The prison remained on that site for nearly 90 years before moving north of town. Today it remains an important contributor to the local economy as one of the area's largest employers, operating a complex of six corrections facilities.  Parts of the old stone facility can still be seen near North and Cooper Streets. Drive by for a spectacular view.

Capitalizing on Jackson’s central location, Michigan Central Railroad added the growing community as its eastern terminus in 1841. With the addition of the railroad, Jackson began its development as an important rail center. Telegraph lines soon followed and by 1871 Jackson was recognized as an important rail center with six different railroads passing through the city. By 1910, Jackson was home to switching and repair headquarters for 10 railroads.

While Jackson got its first taste of government in 1833, that was only the beginning. On July 6, 1854, several thousand people gathered in Jackson to begin a new political party. As they gathered under a grove of oak trees, the Republican Party was born in order to help fight the spread of slavery. Just six years later, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican president and the efforts to end slavery really began. As the war to end slavery grew, Jackson became very involved in bringing the states of the union together again. Over five thousand men from Jackson County committed themselves to serving in the Civil War. The main training camp for the state of Michigan was located in Jackson at Camp Blair, named for governor of Michigan, Austin Blair. Interestingly, Blair was from Jackson and was a strong supporter of President Lincoln and for the cause of the Civil War.

Not surprisingly, Jackson was also used as a stop on the 'Underground Railroad.' Although the 'Underground Railroad' was not actually underground or a railroad, it was a relatively efficient way of moving escaped slaves from the south to safe territory in the north. In addition, the houses where escaped slaves were hidden were called 'stations' in the Underground Railroad. Several of these 'stations' are still homes in Jackson today.

The first golf course opened in the Jackson area in 1898, setting a local trend that still exists today. The county is now home to 22 public golf courses. Play and stay packages start at just $39. People travel nearly 80 miles to enjoy the second best area in the country for golf, according to the National Golf Association. Beautiful layouts and well-kept greens abound to rank Jackson County second to Sarasota County, Florida in golf holes per person.

Surprisingly, Jackson was home to one of the first car industry developments. Even before Detroit began building cars on assembly lines, Jackson was busy making parts for cars and putting them together in 1901. By 1910, the auto industry became Jackson's main industry and today it remains one of the largest employers of skilled machine operators in the county. Over twenty different cars were once made in Jackson. Can you remember any of these?: Reeves, Jaxon, Jackson, CarterCar, Orlo, Whiting, Butcher and Gage, Buick, Janney, Globe, Steel Swallow, C.V.I., Imperial, Ames-Dean, Cutting, Standard Electric, Duck, Briscoe, Argo, Hollier, Hackett, Marion-Handly, Gem, Earl, Wolverine, and Kaiser-Darrin.

The first Jackson County Rose Festival occurred in Jackson in 1958. The tradition carries on today with many events celebrated each year. Jackson's festivals and parades continue to receive national notoriety and attract several thousand visitors annually.

One of Jackson's best-known landmarks was built under the direction of William Sparks. The Cascades were commissioned by the William and Matilda Sparks Foundation in the fall of 1929. The Sparks envisioned an illuminated set of waterfalls and fountains that would form the centerpiece of a green and wooded "meditation center" for Jackson's citizens.

Work on the cascades began in the spring of 1931. Eighty men were employed and worked by hand to produce the 550 foot long structure of reinforced concrete. The timing of the Cascade's construction was especially fortuitous and brought much needed employment to Jackson's workers.

Shortly after Sparks' death in 1943, the entire 465 acre foundation park containing the illuminated Cascades was given to Jackson County.

With time the Cascades fell into a state of disrepair, and by 1969 the entire landmark was threatened with permanent closure. Vandals had destroyed many of the concrete posts, the fountain, and boulevard lights. The massive reinforced concrete structure was scarred with graffiti, and began crumbling. In order to reverse the destruction of this landmark a "Save the Cascades" program was created with the goal of restoring the Cascades to its original grandeur. The community response was overwhelming, and within a year the Cascades was re-opened.

The park now contains a small museum depicting the history of Cascades Falls, two golf courses, tennis courts, a picnic area, lagoons, paddleboats, batting cages and a miniature golf course.

Like every other proud community, Jackson claims a variety of other "firsts" in addition to the many mentioned above.

	It is widely believed that the "Ritz" cracker originated in Jackson with the Jaxon Cracker Factory in the early 1900s. The company and its unique brand of round crackers was later sold to Nabisco…
	The first college commencement exercises held within a prison were held January 20, 1975 in the State Prison of Southern Michigan when Jackson Community College conferred 20 associate degrees.
	The first trimline telephone was placed in service in Jackson on October 21, 1963.
	The Jackson Transit Authority was the first system in the United States to be retrofitted for multiple wheel chairs.
	The Jackson Public Schools "Back-to-Back" French exchange program was the first one-year, self-contained program in the country. Since 1979 almost 400 students have participated in the program.
	Thomas Sperry of Jackson, Michigan, and Shelly Hutchinson of Baltimore, Maryland, founded S&H. They issued their first trading stamps in Jackson, Michigan, in 1896.

Nearby communities to Jackson found in the county include Brooklyn, Cement City, Clarklake, Concord, Grass Lake, Hanover, Horton, Michigan Center, Napoleon, Parma, Pleasant Lake, Rives Junction, Spring Arbor, Springport, Vandercook Lake, and Waterloo. There's lots to do in Jackson County with over 20,000 acres of public recreation land.

Eberle Brewery, Jackson, Mi

"This is station WIBM, Jackson" . . . will always be one of the most beautiful phrases in the English language. It was the first phrase I spoke when I became a full-fledged radio announcer at the age of sixteen in Jackson, Michigan. --Jack Paar in I Kid You Not (1959)

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