Jackson is the capital city of Mississippi. The statewide Mississippi Freedom Trail runs through the city, encompassing a number of historic sites that were significant in the civil rights movement. These include the Medgar Evers Home Museum and the landmark Mississippi State Capitol building. In leafy LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science includes an aquarium and nature trails.
ZIP codes: 39200-39299
Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and also is just one of 2 county seats of Hinds County. Named after General Andrew Jackson, it was established in 1821 to be the state capital. After the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, General William Tecumseh Sherman's Union troops captured Jackson and destroyed it. There was a gas boom in the 1920s, and also it's nicknamed "The City with Soul."
The Jackson area has a population of 579,332. It was part of the Choctaw nation in the day. Mississippi Choctaw are currently part of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and live in several Native-American towns in the state.
The very first European settler was Louis LeFleur, and also Jackson was initially referred to as LeFleur's Bluff. In 1821, a state-commissioned summary said LeFleur's Bluff was a beautiful location and had plenty of water and also timber and accessibility to the Natchez Trail. The area after that became the seat of state government. It was plated in 1822 in a grid pattern, and city blocks include numerous parks. The railroad was built through Jackson in 1840, which stimulated development after the War Between the States.
Jackson was a production center for the Confederacy throughout the War Between the States, making it a target of Union troops in 1863. Given that the city was destroyed, few antebellum structures have endured. Nevertheless, the Governor's Mansion, the Old Capitol, as well as the Jackson City Hall continue to be.
After the War Between the States, economic recovery was slow. Mule-drawn streetcars became electrical in 1899. A brand-new capitol building was built in 1903.
Born in Jackson in 1909, writer Eudora Welty won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for, "The Optimist's Daughter." The Jackson Town library was named for her, and her residence is a National Historic Site. Jackson experienced a boom in the early 20th century, and also a brand-new Union Station was built. The King Edward Hotel opened in 1923 and was a facility for distinguished occasions. The 1919 Standard Life Building established the record for the largest reinforced concrete building at the time.
Natural gas fields were discovered in 1930 leading to an additional boom that reduced the effects of the Great Depression. This sector tailed off in 1955.
Throughout Mississippi's extensive Prohibition, alcohol consumption and also gambling thrived on the opposite side of the river in Flowood's Gold Coast. Those organizations closed down when Mississippi legalized alcohol in 1966. The state enabled riverboat gaming in 1990, and lots of gambling enterprises have opened.
Hawkins Field became a crucial United States Military airbase in World War II, containing the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School after Nazi Germany overwhelmed the Netherlands.
Jackson was an important center of civil rights protests in the '60s and was the terminus of the James Meredith March. Meredith was the first African American to enroll at the University of Mississippi. The first lung transplant occurred at the University of Mississippi Medical Facility in 1963. Malaco Records calls Jackson its home base and also is a leader in gospel, blues, and soul. Paul Simon tape-recorded at Malaco in 1973.
Harvey Johnson, Jr. ended up being Jackson's very first African-American mayor in 1997, and he was a champ for the Convention Facility. Jackson was signified as one of the ten friendliest cities in the USA in 2013.
Jackson is in Hinds County and also some areas of Madison as well as Rankin counties. The eastern boundary is the Pearl River. It's bordered on the north by Ridgeland, on the east by Flowood and Richland, the south by Byram and the west by Clinton. It has a total landmass of 113.2 square miles and is drained by the Big Black as well as Pearl Rivers.
Jackson sits on top of an extinct volcano that's 2,900 feet below the earth. The buried peak is under the Mississippi Coliseum. Jackson-Evers International Airport terminal has continuous service to six cities.
Re-created 1920s town & cotton artifacts
A living-history farm, a recreated 1920s cotton-economy-era town & local historical artifacts.
Interactive galleries on local history
History museum with interactive galleries exploring the state's role in the civil rights movement.
Jackson, MS
Southern fare with a twist & original cocktails spotlighted in modern-rustic digs with a patio.
Jackson, MS
NY-style pizza & myriad ice creams are served in laid-back digs with patios & an adult-only lounge.
Jackson, MS
Contemporary dining space providing innovative, Southern-style seafood mains & craft cocktails.
Jackson, MS
Seasonal Southern meals with a Mediterranean twist in a sharp, open bar/eatery with outdoor seating.
Jackson, MS
BBQ plates with global influences & a lengthy craft beer list offered in hip, rustic surrounds.