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B+History
History · Jackson

Jackson dates to 1816, and 4 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 75% of U.S. towns · #28 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 140 buildings. Most of Jackson was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: maps from 1930 on and the census since 1900.

1816founded
4on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Jackson began

When was Jackson founded?

1816

Jackson dates its founding to 1816 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 1,039 in 19002020 census: 4,748210 years

How historic is Jackson?

B+

More historic than 75% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Jackson’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Jackson is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #28 of 187 in Alabama. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Jackson’s overall grade.
Founding era1816, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19403.9% of homes (±4.0) · typical AL town 3.2% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register4 listings, 143 historic buildings, 312 per 10,000 residents · typical AL town 2.7 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 75%
NewerOlder
Alabama towns of 2,500+ (187)Ahead of 85%

Alabama towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Alabama town has 2.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Jackson’s 312 sits above most of its state (92% of Alabama towns have fewer) while its 143 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.0 points). Two sources give 1816.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Jackson’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Jackson Historic District takes in 140 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Jackson are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Deep rootsEstablished in 1816: 210 years of Jackson.Landmarks on the Register4 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

4 listings protect 143 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
143
each building in a district counts
first listed
1998
Jackson Historic District
Jackson Historic DistrictClarke MillsMcClellan, Doit W., Lustron House, built 1949McKee, J.P., Lustron House, built 1949
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Moderne2
Lustron House2
Greek Revival1
Queen Anne1
Colonial Revival1
Tudor Revival1
Jackson Historic DistrictGreek Revival
Clarke MillsModerne
McClellan, Doit W., Lustron HouseLustron House · Built 1949
McKee, J.P., Lustron HouseLustron House · Built 1949

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Jackson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Jackson’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Timeline

Jackson, 1816 to 1995

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1816
    FoundingJackson is established
  3. 1821Post officeThe Jackson post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1902Born hereStew Bolen is born here
  6. 1938Born hereJohn "Jabo" Starks is born here
  7. 1949BuiltMcClellan, Doit W., Lustron House is built
  8. 1949BuiltMcKee, J.P., Lustron House is built
  9. 1978On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1979Born hereAntonio Chatman is born here
  11. 1995Born hereSamaje Perine is born here
The story

How Jackson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Jackson.

Read it all →

Jackson was founded in 1816 and is named after President Andrew Jackson. Former names for the city include Pine Level and Republicville.

During the Civil War, a Confederate fort was established on the banks of the Tombigbee River. It was named Fort Carney and was positioned on Carney's Bluff just south of Jackson. The cannon that was on the bluff now sits in front of City Hall.

Jackson has four sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are the Jackson Historic District, Clarke Mills, Doit W. McClellan Lustron House, and J. P. McKee Lustron House.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Jackson in 1930

Passages that mention Jackson, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Jackson is a democrat, a Baptist and Mason, Frank Jackson, Florence, Ala., not known to be related to the other Jacksons of Florence mentioned in these sketches. His father was Eristides Edward Jackson, came from Virginia, when he was 2 years old with his two brothers, uncles of Frank were John Qui…
Biographical sketches of the Jackson families of Alabama1930Read the page →
Read the text

Jackson is a democrat, a Baptist and Mason, Frank Jackson, Florence, Ala., not known to be related to the other Jacksons of Florence mentioned in these sketches. His father was Eristides Edward Jackson, came from Virginia, when he was 2 years old with his two brothers, uncles of Frank were John Quincy Jackson and Theodorick Jackson.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

Jackson, decade by decade

Today30 recent
Untitled photo2007Untitled photoNS 8205 GE C39-8 Conrail2007NS 8205 GE C39-8 ConrailCefx 39622007Cefx 3962Cefx 39622007Cefx 3962CEFX7080I2007CEFX7080ICEFX5003D2007CEFX5003DCEFX5003A2007CEFX5003ACEFX3962E2007CEFX3962ECEFX3917G2007CEFX3917GUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoUntitled photo2006Untitled photoJackson Municipal Airport (Alabama)2006Jackson Municipal Airport (Alabama)Cefx70752006Cefx7075Cefx50032006Cefx5003Bnsf77232006Bnsf7723BNSF52382006BNSF5238UpbridgeIMG 13562005UpbridgeIMG 1356Union Pacific 8310 revisit2005Union Pacific 8310 revisitTugboat in Jackson Alabama -a2005Tugboat in Jackson Alabama -a
On the map

Jackson on the map, 1978 to 1986

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Jackson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Jackson on the 1978 USGS mapJackson on the 1986 USGS map1978Jackson sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Jackson.

Every building

Jackson, building by building, 1930

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Jackson fire insurance map, 1930, sheet 11930Sheet 1 of 2
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Jackson, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,5001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 6,073

Between 1,039 and 6,073 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Jackson’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

5 famous people were born in Jackson

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Samaje PerineAmerican football player · b. 1995
A
Antonio ChatmanAmerican football player · b. 1979
J
John "Jabo" StarksAmerican drummer · b. 1938
Stew BolenAmerican baseball player · b. 1902
B
Brok WeaverAmerican mixed martial arts fighter · b. 1991
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Jackson’s post office has been open since 1821.

Gone or out of use
Jackson Graded SchoolschoolJackson SpringslocaleSalt Springs Academyschool
5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Jackson
Bell ParkerFormanJackson Memorial GardensMcKenziePine Crest

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Jackson’s history

What year was Jackson founded?

In 1816, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Jackson’s post office opened in 1821, and the census of 1900 counted 1,039 people here.

How does Jackson rank for history?

Jackson is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #28 of 187 in Alabama. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Jackson?

4 listings: 3 buildings and 1 historic district, the Jackson Historic District, with 140 contributing buildings. 143 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Jackson?

4% of Jackson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 3.2% for an Alabama town; the median home was built in 1976.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (30), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.