Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 59,643 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Jackson, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area. It is the county seat of Madison County.

Geography

Jackson is located at (35.633132, -88.820805).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.5 square miles (128.2 km²), all of it land.

Crime

According to the Morgan Quitno Top 25 Most Dangerous Cities of 2006, the city was ranked as the number 10 most dangerous city in the United States. In 2007 it was not on this list. 1993 was one of the most violent years with over 20 homicides; 2005 Jackson was in the top 5 for violent crime.

NOTE: The FBI recommends against use of its crime statistics for the direct comparison of cities as Morgan Quitno does in its "Most Dangerous Cities" rankings. This is due to the many factors that influence crime in a particular study area such as population density and the degree of urbanization, modes of transportation of highway system, economic conditions, and citizens' attitudes toward crime.

History

Settlement of Jackson began along the Forked Deer River before 1820. Originally named Alexandria, Jackson was renamed in 1822 to honor General Andrew Jackson, later President of the United States.

The Tennessee Supreme Court is required to meet in Jackson because, when the second Tennessee State Constitution was written in 1834, Memphis had not yet developed, and Jackson was the most significant city in West Tennessee.

Jackson developed rapidly just prior to the Civil War as a railroad junction and maintenance shop for several early railroads, including the Mississippi Central, the Tennessee Central and the Mobile and Ohio lines. Although the Civil War temporarily stalled rail development, Jackson continued to develop as an important rail center.

Jackson was the original home of Tennessee's only native automaker, Marathon Motor Works. The Tigrett Toy Factory, founded by Isaac Burton Tigrett, in years past, was an employer of many in Jackson. Jackson is the home of his son, Isaac Burton Tigrett, Jr., the founder of the Hard Rock Cafe chain of themed restaurants. The first Hard Rock Cafe in the United States was located in Jackson's Old Hickory Mall.

Jackson was home to Casey Jones, the Illinois Central engineer who, before colliding with a stalled freight train near Vaughn, Mississippi, told his fireman to jump to safety but himself died at the throttle, saving the lives of his passengers. Jackson was also the home of singers Carl Perkins and Luther Ingram, game show host Wink Martindale, football players Ed "Too Tall" Jones , Al Wilson and Trey Teague, and legendary pianist Joe Hunter, one of the Funk Brothers who played on Motown hits in the 1960s. Johnny Cash & June Carter sang about "Jackson" too.

Jackson was also the original home of Monroe Dunaway Anderson. M. D. Anderson was a cotton trader and capitalist whose endowment helped found the famed M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

A Little League baseball team from Jackson participated in the 1974 Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Demographics

Jackson is the larger principal city of the Jackson-Humboldt CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Jackson metropolitan area (Chester and Madison counties) and the Humboldt micropolitan area (Gibson County), which had a combined population of 155,529 at the 2000 census.

As of the census of 2000, there were 59,643 people, 23,503 households, and 15,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,205.2 people per square mile (465.3/km²). There were 25,501 housing units at an average density of 515.3/sq mi (198.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.13% White, 42.07% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.16% of the population.

There were 23,503 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,194, and the median income for a family was $40,922. Males had a median income of $32,777 versus $23,229 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,495. About 14.0% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Interstate 40 goes through the city in an east-west direction, and U.S. Route 45 in a north-south direction. Interstate 40 has seven exits in the city. McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport serves the city (although commercial airline service to McKellar-Sipes was scheduled to end January 7, 2008). The Greyhound Busline provides inter-city service.

Education

K-12 public schools in the city are operated by the Jackson-Madison County School System. Other educational institutions in Jackson include the state-operated West Tennessee School for the Deaf, the independent University School of Jackson, and the church-related St. Mary's Catholic School, Trinity Christian Academy and Jackson Christian School.

High schools

• Jackson Central-Merry High School
• Jackson Christian School
• Jackson Preparatory School
• Liberty Technology Magnet High School
• Madison Academic Magnet High School
• North Side High School
• Sacred Heart of Jesus High School
• South Side High School
• Trinity Christian Academy
• University School of Jackson
• Vann Drive Christian Academy

Colleges and universities

• Jackson State Community College
• Tennessee Technology Center at Jackson
• Lambuth University
• Lane College
• Union University
• West Tennessee Business College

Recreation, sports, and entertainment

Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum, located in Casey Jones Village, is one of top ten tourist attractions in Tennessee. The exhibits include a Railroad Museum with steam locomotives and the restored home of Casey Jones.

The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, a Class AA minor league baseball team in the Southern League, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners play in Jackson.

The Hub City Hurricanes of the IBL played in Jackson for one season in 2007.

Since 1990, Jackson has hosted the NAIA Women's Division I National Championship basketball tournament in the Oman Arena

Jackson hosts the annual Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.

West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex is a travel baseball and softball complex completed in 2007. It hosts numerous tournaments throughout the year and has contributed to the growth explosion of the northeast corridor of the city.

Notes

External links

• Jackson Convention & Visitor's Bureau