On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Jackson Township is more historic than 36% of U.S. towns, #894 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Jackson Township’s overall grade.
Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Jackson Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.8 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Jackson Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1893Pittston sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Jackson Township.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Huntsville
1826–1911
Chase
1895–1905
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
CeasetownChaseHuntsville
Gone or out of use
Chase Quarrymine
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Jackson Township
CaseCeasetownHuntsvilleLamoreaux Family
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1795, the first white settler constructed a permanent home in modern-day Jackson Township; his name was George Palmer Ransom. He was followed by additional settlers (including Thomas Lamoreaux, John Lamoreaux, and Jesse Brown). Jackson Township was formed in 1844 from a portion of Plymouth Township. It originally covered an area of fifteen square miles. The township was named in honor of Andrew Jackson (the seventh President of the United States). Due to its thick forests, the lumber industry was one of the first major employers in the area. In the township's early days, there were roughly nine sawmills and three gristmills. By 1850, the population of Jackson increased to nearly six hundred. Over time, farming replaced logging as the primary industry in the township.
Passages that mention Jackson Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania1909 · page 121Read the page →
Read the text
Jackson Township is part of the original township of Plymouth. It was organized in 1844, but, of course, its settlement history goes much farther back. The first settler in this part of Plymouth Township was Palmer Ran-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections1893 · page 439Read the page →
Read the text
Jackson Township. — Van Loon Methodist Episcopal church was formed in 1820. The present church was built in 1877. The pastors have been Revs. Morgan Sherman, Joseph Cagtle, John Copeland, Philip Barbery, George Peck, S. Stocking, Miles H. Gaylord, Silas Comfort, etc.; since 1850, Charles Perkins, Josuah S. Lewis, C. W. Grilfin, P. Holbrook. D. Personius, G. Greenfield, Isaac Austin, F. A King, J. B. Santee, R. C. Gill and David Lanish.
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.
Timeline
Jackson Township, 1826 to 1930
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Jackson Township is more historic than 36% of U.S. towns, #894 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. 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.
How old are the homes in Jackson Township?
15% of Jackson Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.8 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1981.
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 (4), Wikipedia, 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 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.
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