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
Local time: Saturday 4:16 PM
Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and is among 2 county seats of Hinds County. Named after General Andrew Jackson, it was developed in 1821 to be the state capital. After the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, General William Tecumseh Sherman's Union forces captured Jackson and destroyed it. There was a natural gas boom in the 1920s, and also it's nicknamed "The City with Soul."
The Jackson market has a populace of 579,332. It was part of the Choctaw Indians at one time. Mississippi Choctaw are currently part of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and also live in several Native-American communities in the state.
The initial European inhabitant was Louis LeFleur, and Jackson was initially known as LeFleur's Bluff. In 1821, a state-commissioned report said LeFleur's Bluff was a beautiful location and had plenty of water and also timber and accessibility to the Natchez Trail. The site then became the seat of state government. It was plated in 1822 in a grid pattern, and also city blocks contain many parks. The railroad went through Jackson in 1840, which sparked growth after the Civil War.
Jackson was a production center for the Confederacy during the War Between the States, making it a target of Union forces in 1863. Given that the city was ruined, few antebellum structures have endured. However, the Governor's Mansion, the Old Capitol, as well as the Jackson City Hall continue to be.
After the War Between the States, financial recuperation was slow. Mule-drawn streetcars became electrical in 1899. A new capitol building was constructed 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 Landmark. Jackson experienced a growth explosion in the early 20th century, and a new Union Terminal was built. The King Edward Hotel opened in 1923 and also was a center for distinguished occasions. The 1919 Standard Life Building established the record for the largest reinforced concrete building at the time.
Gas fields were discovered in 1930 leading to another boom that reduced the effects of the Great Depression. This sector tailed off in 1955.
Throughout Mississippi's extended Prohibition, alcohol consumption and also gaming prospered on the opposite side of the river in Flowood's Gold Coast. Those organizations shut down when Mississippi legalized alcohol in 1966. The state allowed riverboat gaming in 1990, and numerous casino sites have actually opened.
Hawkins Field became a vital U.S. Military airbase in World War Two, containing the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School after Nazi Germany overwhelmed the Netherlands.
Jackson was an essential hub of civil rights demonstrations in the '60s and was the terminus of the James Meredith March. Meredith was the very first African American to enroll at the University of Mississippi. The first lung transplant took place 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. became Jackson's first African-American mayor in 1997, and also he was a champ for the Convention Facility. Jackson was denoted as one of the ten friendliest cities in the USA in 2013.
Jackson is in Hinds County and 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 as well as Richland, the south by Byram and the west by Clinton. It has an overall landmass of 113.2 square miles and is drained by the Big Black and Pearl Rivers.
Jackson rests 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 has non-stop 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.