Jackson, Mississippi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about Jackson, the city and related subjects within the city. For subjects outside the city but relating to the Jackson metro area, see Jackson metropolitan area.
City of Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi at dusk
Jackson, Mississippi at dusk
Flag of City of Jackson
Flag		 Official seal of City of Jackson
Seal
Nickname: Crossroads of the South or Jack-town
Motto: The city of Grace and Benevolence
Location in Hinds County, Mississippi
Location in Hinds County, Mississippi
Location of Mississippi in the United States
Location of Mississippi in the United States
Coordinates: 32°17′56″N 90°11′05″W / 32.29889, -90.18472
Country United States
State Mississippi
Counties Hinds, Madison, Rankin
Founded 1822
Incorporation 1822
Government
 - Type Strong Mayor-Council
 - Mayor Frank Melton (D)
 - City Council Jeff Weill, Leslie B. McLemore,
Kenneth I. Stokes, Frank Bluntson,
Charles Tillman, Marshand K. Crisler,
Margaret C. Barrett-Simon
 - Chief of Police Malcolm McMillin
Area
 - Total 106.8 sq mi (276.7 km²)
 - Land 104.9 sq mi (271.7 km²)
 - Water 1.9 sq mi (5.0 km²)
Elevation 279 ft (85 m)
Population (2000 Census)
 - Total 184,256
 - Density 1,688/sq mi (678.2/km²)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-6)
ZIP codes 39200-39299
Area code(s) 601, 769
FIPS code 28-36000[1]
GNIS feature ID 0711543[2]
For additional city data see City-Data
Website: http://www.jacksonms.gov

Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. State of Mississippi. It is one of the county seats of Hinds County; Raymond is the other county seat. As of the 2000 census Jackson's population was 184,256. According to July 1, 2006 estimates, the city's population was 176,614 and its five-county metropolitan area had a population of 529,456.[3][4] The Jackson-Yazoo City combined statistical area, consisting of the Jackson metropolitan area and Yazoo City micropolitan area, had a population of 557,385.[5]

The current slogan for the city is Jackson, Mississippi: City with Soul.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Founding and antebellum period (to 1860)

The area that is now Jackson was initially referred to as Parker'ville[6] and was settled by Louis LeFleur, a French Canadian trader along the historic Natchez Trace trade route. The area then became known as LeFleur's Bluff[7]. LeFleur's Bluff was founded based on the need for a centrally located capital for the state of Mississippi. In 1821, the Mississippi General Assembly, meeting in the then-capital of Natchez, had sent Thomas Hinds (for whom Hinds County is named), James Patton, and William Lattimore to look for a site. After surveying areas north and east of Jackson, they proceeded southwest along the Pearl River until they reached LeFleur's Bluff in Hinds County. Their report to the General Assembly stated that this location had beautiful and healthful surroundings, good water, abundant timber, navigable waters, and proximity to the trading route Natchez Trace. And so, a legislative Act passed by the Assembly on November 28, 1821, authorized the location to become the permanent seat of the government of the state of Mississippi.

Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States and the city's namesake
Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States and the city's namesake

Jackson is named after the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, in recognition for his victory in the Battle of New Orleans.

During the late 18th century and early 19th century, the area was traversed by the Natchez Trace, on which a trading post stood before a treaty with the Choctaw, the Treaty of Doak's Stand in 1820, formally opened the area for non-native American settlers.

Jackson was originally planned, in April 1822, by Peter Van Dorn in a "checkerboard" pattern advocated by Thomas Jefferson, in which city blocks alternated with parks and other open spaces, giving the appearance of a checkerboard. This plan has not lasted to the present day.

The state legislature first met in Jackson on December 23, 1822.

In 1839, Jackson was the site of the passage of the first state law that permitted married women to own and administer their own property.

Jackson was first linked with other cities by rail in 1840. An 1844 map shows Jackson linked by an east-west rail line running between Vicksburg, Raymond, and Brandon. Unlike Vicksburg, Greenville, and Natchez, Jackson is not located on the Mississippi River, and did not develop like those cities from river commerce. Instead, railroads would later spark growth of the city in the decades after the American Civil War.

[edit] American Civil War and late nineteenth century (1861-1900)

Despite its small population, during the Civil War, Jackson became a strategic center of manufacturing for the Confederate States of America. In 1863, during the campaign which ended in the capture of Vicksburg, Union forces captured Jackson during two battles—once before the fall of Vicksburg and once after the fall of Vicksburg.

September 1863 map of the Siege of Jackson.
September 1863 map of the Siege of Jackson.

On May 13, 1863, Union forces won the first Battle of Jackson, forcing Confederate forces to flee northward towards Canton. On May 15, Union troops under the command of William Tecumseh Sherman burned and looted key facilities in Jackson, a strategic manufacturing and railroad center for the Confederacy. After driving the Confederate forces out of Jackson, Union forces turned west once again and engaged the Vicksburg defenders at the Battle of Champion Hill in nearby Edwards. The siege of Vicksburg began soon after the Union victory at Champion Hill. Confederate forces began to reassemble in Jackson in preparation for an attempt to break through the Union lines surrounding Vicksburg and end the siege there. The Confederate forces in Jackson built defensive fortifications encircling the city while preparing to march west to Vicksburg.

Confederate forces marched out of Jackson to break the siege of Vicksburg in early July 1863. However, unknown to them, Vicksburg had already surrendered on July 4, 1863. General Ulysses S. Grant dispatched General Sherman to meet the Confederate forces heading west from Jackson. Upon learning that Vicksburg had already surrendered, the Confederates retreated back into Jackson, thus beginning the Siege of Jackson, which lasted for approximately one week. Union forces encircled the city and began an artillery bombardment. One of the Union artillery emplacements still remains intact on the grounds of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Another Federal position is still intact on the campus of Millsaps College. One of the Confederate Generals defending Jackson was former United States Vice President John C. Breckenridge. On July 16, 1863, Confederate forces slipped out of Jackson during the night and retreated across the Pearl River. Union forces completely burned the city after its capture this second time, and the city earned the nickname "Chimneyville" because only the chimneys of houses were left standing. The northern line of Confederate defenses in Jackson during the siege was located along a road near downtown Jackson, now known as Fortification Street.

Today there are few antebellum structures left standing in Jackson. One surviving structure is the Governor's Mansion, built in 1842, which served as Sherman's headquarters. Another is the Old Capitol building, which served as the home of the Mississippi state legislature from 1839 to 1903. There the Mississippi legislature passed the ordinance of secession from the Union on January 9, 1861, becoming the second state to secede from the United States. The constitutional convention of 1890, which produced Mississippi's Constitution of 1890, was also held there. The so-called New Capitol replaced the older structure upon its completion in 1903, and today the Old Capitol is a historical museum. A third important surviving antebellum structure is the Jackson City Hall, built in 1846 for less than $8,000. It is said that Sherman, a Mason, spared it because it housed a Masonic Lodge, though a more likely reason is that it housed an army hospital.

[edit] Early twentieth century (1901-1960)

Eudora Welty (1909-2001), award-winning American author and photographer.
Eudora Welty (1909-2001), award-winning American author and photographer.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty was born in Jackson in 1909, died there in 2001, and lived most of her life in the Belhaven section of the city. She wrote a memoir of her development as a writer, One Writer's Beginnings (1984), which gives a charming picture of the city in the early 20th century. Today, the main Jackson public library is named in her honor.

Highly acclaimed African-American author Richard Wright, a native of Roxie, Mississippi, lived in Jackson as an adolescent and young man in the 1910s and 1920s, and relates his experience in his memoir Black Boy (1945). He describes the harsh and largely terror-filled life most African-Americans experienced in the South and the rest of the United States under segregation in the early twentieth century.

Jackson's economic growth was stimulated in the 1930s by the discovery of natural gas fields nearby.

During World War II, Hawkins Field in northwest Jackson became a major airbase. Among other facilities and units, the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School was established there, after Nazi Germany occupied Holland. From 1941, the base trained all Dutch military aircrews.

[edit] Civil Rights Movement in Jackson

Since 1960, Jackson has undergone a series of dramatic changes and growth. On May 24, 1961, during the African-American Civil Rights Movement, more than 300 Freedom Riders were arrested in Jackson for disturbing the peace after they disembarked from their bus.[8] Although the Freedom Riders had planned to make New Orleans, Louisiana their final destination, Jackson was the farthest that any of them actually managed to travel.

Efforts to desegregate Jackson facilities began even before the Freedom Rides when 9 Tougaloo students were arrested for attempting to read books in the "white only" library.[9] After the Freedom Rides, the Freedom Movement launched a series of merchant boycotts[10], sit-ins and protest marches[11], from 1961 to 1963.

In Jackson, shortly after midnight on June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers, civil rights activist and leader of the Mississippi chapter of the NAACP, was murdered by Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist. Thousands marched in his funeral procession to protest the assassination.[12] In 1994, prosecutors Ed Peters and Bobby DeLaughter finally obtained a murder conviction of De La Beckwith. A portion of U.S. Highway 49, all of Delta Drive and Jackson-Evers International Airport now bear Medgar Evers's name.

In June 1966, Jackson was also the terminus of the James Meredith March, organized by James Meredith, the first African-American to enroll at the University of Mississippi. The march, which began in Memphis, Tennessee, was an attempt to garner support for the Civil Rights movement and was accompanied by a drive to register African-Americans to vote in Mississippi. In this latter aim, it succeeded in registering between 2,500 and 3,000 black Mississippians to vote. The march ended on June 26 after Meredith, who had been wounded by a sniper's bullet earlier on the march, addressed a large rally of some 15,000 people in Jackson.

[edit] Recent History

The first successful cadaveric lung transplant was performed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson in June 1963 by Dr. James Hardy. Hardy transplanted the cadaveric lung into a patient suffering from lung cancer. The patient survived for eighteen days before dying of kidney failure.

Since 1968, Jackson has been the home of Malaco Records, one of the leading record companies for gospel and soul music in the United States. In January 1973, Paul Simon recorded the song "Learn How To Fall", found on the album There Goes Rhymin' Simon, in Jackson at the Malaco Recording Studios.

Two students at Jackson State University (then called Jackson State College) were killed while protesting the Vietnam War on May 15, 1970. These murders were part of the evidence cited by Newsweek in its issue of 18 May when it suggested that U.S. President Richard Nixon faced a new home front.

In 1997, Harvey Johnson, Jr. became the city's first African American mayor. During his term, he proposed the creation of a convention center, in hopes of attracting business to the city. This effort was not successful during his tenure but his idea did became a reality later when the voters of Jackson overwhelmingly passed a referendum for a tax to build the Convention Center. As a result of this vote, many new development projects are underway in Downtown Jackson. Mayor Johnson was replaced by Frank Melton on July 4, 2005. Melton has subsequently generated controversy through his unconventional behavior, which has included acting as a law enforcement officer. A dramatic spike in crime has also ensued, despite Melton's promises to rid the city of its crime problem.[13]

2007 saw a historic first for Mississippi as Hinds County sheriff Malcolm McMillin was appointed as the new police chief in Jackson. McMillin is now both the county sheriff and city police chief at the same time.[14]

The 14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America" ranks Jackson as the 23rd most dangerous city in America.[15]

[edit] Geography and climate

Jackson is located on the Pearl River, and is served by the Ross Barnett Reservoir, which forms a section of the Pearl River and is located northeast of Jackson on the border between Madison and Rankin counties. A tiny portion of the city containing Tougaloo College lies in Madison County, bounded on the west by I-220 and on the east by US 51 and I-55. A second portion of the city is located in Rankin County. In the 2000 census, 183,723 of the city's 184,256 residents (99.7%) lived in Hinds County and 533 (0.3%) in Madison County. Although no Jackson residents lived in the Rankin County portion in 2000, that figure had risen to 72 by 2006.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 106.8 square miles (276.7 km²), of which, 104.9 square miles (271.7 km²) of it is land and 1.9 square miles (5.0 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.80 percent water.

Jackson possesses a humid subtropical climate, with very hot, humid summers and mild winters. Rain is very evenly spread throughout the year, and snow can fall in wintertime, although heavy snowfall is relatively rare. Much of Jackson's rainfall occurs during thunderstorms. Thunder is heard on roughly 70 days per annum. Jackson lies in a region prone to severe thunderstorms which can produce large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. Among one of the most notable tornado events was the F5 Candlestick Park Tornado on March 3, 1966 which destroyed the shopping center of the same name and surrounding businesses and residential areas killing 19 in the Jackson Metro Area.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 83 85 89 94 99 105 106 107 104 95 88 84
Norm High °F 55.1 60.3 68.1 75 82.1 88.9 91.4 91.4 86.4 76.8 66.3 57.9
Norm Low °F 35 38.2 45.4 51.7 61 68.1 71.4 70.3 64.6 52 43.4 37.3
Rec Low °F 2 10 15 27 38 47 51 54 35 26 17 4
Precip (in) 5.67 4.5 5.74 5.98 4.86 3.82 4.69 3.66 3.23 3.42 5.04 5.34
Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]

[edit] Demographics

City of Jackson
Population by year [2]
Year Population
%±
 U.S. Rank
1850 1,881 — —
1860 3,191 +69.6% —
1870 4,234 +32.7% —
1880 5,204 +22.9% —
1890 5,920 +13.8% —
1900 7,816 +32.0% —
1910 21,262 +172.0% —
1920 22,817 +7.3% —
1930 48,282 +111.6% —
1940 62,107 +28.6% —
1950 98,271 +58.2% —
1960 144,422 +47.0% 85th
1970 153,968 +6.6% 91st
1980 202,895 +31.8% 71st
1990 196,637 -3.1% 78th
2000 184,286 -6.3% 108th
2006 est. 176,614 -4.2% 126th

Jackson remained a small town for much of the 19th century. Before the American Civil War, Jackson's population remained tiny, particularly in contrast to Mississippi's cities located along the commerce-laden Mississippi River. Despite the city's status as the state capital, the 1850 census counted only 1,881 residents, and by 1900 the population of Jackson had only grown to approximately 8,000. It was during this period, roughly between 1890 and 1930, that Meridian became Mississippi's largest city, though by 1944, Jackson's population had risen to some 70,000 inhabitants. Since that time, it has continuously been the largest city in the state. Large-scale growth, however, did not come until the 1970s, after the turbulence of the Civil Rights Movement. The 1980 census counted over 200,000 residents in the city for the first time. Since then, Jackson has steadily seen a decline in its population, while its suburbs have evidenced a boom.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 184,256 people, 67,841 households, and 44,488 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,756.4 people per square mile (678.2/km²). There were 75,678 housing units at average density of 278.5/km² (721.4/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 70.6% Black or African American, 27.8% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. 0.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 67,841 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.4% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.24.

The age of the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,414, and the median income for a family was $36,003. Males had a median income of $29,166 versus $23,328 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,116. About 19.6% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.[16]

Jackson ranks number 10 in the nation in concentration of African-American same-sex couples.[17]

In 2006, the Center for Immigrant Studies found Mississippi had the highest immigrant percentage growth rate all of states. The Jackson metro area is one of the South's emerging destinations for immigrants, many of which are Latino immigrants (both legal and illegal) from Mexico.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Air travel

Jackson is served by Jackson-Evers International Airport, located at Allen C. Thompson Field, east of the city in Flowood in Rankin County. Its IATA code is JAN. The airport has non-stop service to 12 cities throughout the United States and is served by 6 mainline carriers (American, Delta, Continental, Southwest, Northwest, and US Airways)

On 22 December 2004, Jackson City Council members voted 6-0 to rename Jackson International Airport in honor of slain civil rights leader and field secretary for the Mississippi chapter of the NAACP, Medgar Evers. This decision took effect on 22 January 2005.

Formerly Jackson was served by Hawkins Field Airport, located in northwest Jackson, with IATA code HKS, which is now used for private air traffic only.

Underway is the Airport Parkway project. The environmental impact study is complete and final plans are drawn and awaiting Mississippi Department of Transportation approval. Right-of-way acquisition is underway at an estimated cost of $19 million. The Airport Parkway will connect High Street in downtown Jackson to Mississippi Highway 475 in Flowood at Jackson-Evers International Airport. The Airport Parkway Commission is comprised of the Mayor of Pearl, the Mayor of Flowood and the Mayor of Jackson, as the Airport Parkway will run through and have access from each of these three cities.

[edit] Ground transportation

[edit] Interstate highways

Interstate 55
Runs north-south from Chicago through Jackson towards Brookhaven, McComb, and the Louisiana state line to New Orleans. Jackson is roughly halfway between New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee. The highway maintains eight to ten lanes in northern part of city, six lanes in the center and four lanes south of I-20.

Interstate 20
Runs east-west from near El Paso, Texas to Florence, South Carolina. Jackson is roughly halfway between Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. The highway is six lanes from Interstate 220 to MS 468 in Pearl.

Interstate 220
Connects Interstates 55 and 20 on the north and west sides of the city and is four lanes throughout its route.

[edit] U.S. highways

U.S. Highway 49
Runs north-south from the Arkansas state line at Lula via Clarksdale and Yazoo City, towards Hattiesburg and Gulfport. It bypasses the city via I-20 and I-220

U.S. Highway 51
Known in Jackson as State Street, roughly parallels Interstate 55 from the I-20/I-55 western split to downtown. It multiplexes with I-55 from Pearl/Pascagoula St northward to County Line Road, where the two highways split.

U.S. Highway 80
Roughly parallels Interstate 20.

[edit] State highways

Mississippi Highway 18
Runs southwest towards Raymond and Port Gibson; southeast towards Bay Springs and Quitman.

Mississippi Highway 25
Some parts of this road are known as Lakeland Drive, which runs northeast towards Carthage and Starkville.

[edit] Other roads

In addition, Jackson is served by the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs from Natchez to Nashville, Tennessee.

[edit] Bus service

JATRAN (Jackson Transit System) operates hourly or half-hourly during daytime hours on weekdays, and mostly hourly on Saturdays. No evening or Sunday service is operated.

[edit] Railroads

See also: Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station)

Jackson is served by the Canadian National Railway (formerly the Illinois Central Railroad). The Kansas City Southern Railway also serves the city. The Canadian National has a medium-sized yard downtown which Mill Street parallels and the Kansas City Southern has a large classification yard in Richland. Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Jackson. The Amtrak station is located at 300 West Capitol Street. Amtrak's southbound City of New Orleans provides service from Jackson to New Orleans and some points between. The northbound City of New Orleans provides service from Jackson to Memphis, Carbondale, Champaign-Urbana, Chicago and some points between. Efforts to establish service with another Amtrak train, the Crescent Star, an extension of the Crescent westward from Meridian, Mississippi to Dallas, Texas, failed in 2003.

[edit] Industry

Jackson is home to several major industries. These include electrical equipment and machinery, processed food, and primary and fabricated metal products. The surrounding area supports agricultural development of livestock, soybeans, cotton, and poultry.

[edit] Publicly traded companies

The following companies are headquartered in Jackson:

[edit] Religion

[edit] Cultural organizations and institutions

Jackson, Mississippi city hall
Jackson, Mississippi city hall

[edit] Political structures

Frank Melton, Jackson's current mayor.
Frank Melton, Jackson's current mayor.

In 1985, Jackson voters opted to replace the three-man mayor-commissioner system with a city council. Jackson's city council members represent the city's seven wards, and the body is headed by the mayor.

Jackson's current mayor is Frank Melton, after defeating two-time incumbent Harvey Johnson, Jr. in a landslide election. He is currently serving his first 4-year term as mayor, which began on July 4, 2005, and will end on July 4, 2009.

For former mayors, see Mayor of Jackson, MS.

[edit] Education

Jackson is home to the international headquarters of Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for students enrolled in two-year colleges.

[edit] Colleges and universities

[edit] Public high schools

Main article: Jackson Public School District

[edit] Private high schools

[edit] Media

[edit] Newspapers

[edit] Daily

[edit] Weekly

[edit] Historic

  • The Mississippian Daily Gazette - also often referred to as The Jackson Mississippian because of its location, circulated during the 19th century, a major newspaper during the Civil War
  • The Standard - circulated during the 19th century, after the Civil War The Eastern Clarion moved to Jackson and merged with The Standard, soon changed name to The Clarion
  • State Ledger - circulated during the 19th century, in 1888 The Clarion merged with the State Ledger and became known as The Clarion-Ledger
  • The Jackson Daily News - originally known as The Jackson Evening Post in 1882, changed the name to The Jackson Daily News in 1907, purchased along with The Clarion-Ledger by Gannett in 1982

[edit] Magazines

[edit] Publishing

  • University Press of Mississippi, the state's only not-for-profit publishing house and collective publisher for Mississippi's eight state universities, producing works on local history, culture and society

[edit] Television

[edit] FM radio

[edit] AM radio

  • 620 WJDX: Fox Sports Radio
  • 780 WIIN: Christian country-music
  • 810 WSJC: gospel
  • 850 WQST: classic country, simulacast with WZQK
  • 930 WSFZ: Sporting News Radio
  • 970 WZQK: classic country, simulacast with WQST
  • 1120 WTWZ: bluegrass gospel
  • 1150 WONG: gospel
  • 1180 WJNT: news-talk
  • 1240 WPBQ: ESPN Radio
  • 1300 WOAD: gospel
  • 1370 WMGO: gospel
  • 1400 WKXI: blues
  • 1590 WZRX: Headline News

[edit] Points of interest

Mississippi State Capitol
Mississippi State Capitol

[edit] Tourism and Culture

Jackson is a city famous for its music - including gospel, blues and R&B. Jackson is also home to the world famous Malaco Records recording studio. Many notable musicians hail from Jackson.

(see: List of people from Jackson, Mississippi)

Jackson is home to the USA International Ballet Competition. Founded in 1978 by Thalia Mara, the first USA International Ballet Competition took place in 1979 and joined the ranks of Varna, Bulgaria (1964); Moscow, Russia (1969); and Tokyo, Japan (1976). The International Ballet Competition (IBC) originated in Varna, Bulgaria in 1964. The competition eventually expanded to rotating annual events in Varna, Moscow and Tokyo. In 1979 the event first came to the United States in Jackson, Mississippi, where it now returns every four years. The rotation is currently among Jackson, Varna, Helsinki, Finland and Shanghai, China. These first competitions were given sanction by the International Dance Committee of UNESCO’s International Theater Institute. Today, international ballet competitions flourish worldwide, and the USA IBC in Jackson remains one of the oldest and most respected competitions in the world. In 1982, the United States Congress passed a Joint Resolution designating Jackson as the official home of the USA International Ballet Competition. Jackson held subsequent competitions in 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006. The next competition is in 2010. The competitions are held at Thalia Mara Hall.[18]

[edit] Downtown Jackson Renaissance

Currently, Jackson is experiencing $1.6 billion in downtown development[19]. Among the projects include improvements to or construction of the following:

Old Capitol Green • Pinnacle at Jackson Place • Convention Center and hotels • Mississippi Telecom Center • Union Station • Farish Street Entertainment District • Standard Life Building • Electric 302 Building • Plaza Building • AT&T Building • Jackson Place Residential • State and Tombigbee Lofts • Library Lofts • Towncreek Apartments • Ceva Green • King Edward Hotel • Mississippi History Museum • Festival Park • Old Capitol Museum • Mill Street viaduct and Market • Cellular South • Jackson Police Department Headquarters • New Federal Courthouse • Mississippi Museum of Art

[edit] Downtown Jackson Attractions

Alamo Theater (The) • Boddie Mansion (The) • Bronze Statue of Medgar Evers • Mississippi State Capitol • Old State Capitol • Municipal Art Gallery • Dr. A. H. McCoy Federal Building • Mississippi Supreme Court • Russell C. Davis Planetarium/Ronald E. McNair Space Theater • Oaks House Museum • Sonny Guy Municipal Golf Course • Thalia Mara Hall • War Memorial Building • Smith Park • Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center • Chimneyville Crafts Gallery • City Hall • Mississippi Arts Center • Mississippi Department of Archives and History • Mississippi Fairgrounds and Coliseum • Mississippi Governor's Mansion • Mississippi Museum of Art • Jackson Zoo • Mississippi Farmer's Market

[edit] Tallest buildings

Name Height Year
Regions Plaza (formerly AmSouth) 97 m 1975
Jackson Marriott Downtown 78 m 1975
Regions Bank Building (formerly AmSouth) 77 m 1929
Standard Life Building 76 m 1929
Trustmark National Bank Building 66 m 1955
Lamar Life Building 58 m 1924

[edit] Museums

Eudora Welty House Museum • Manship House Museum • Medgar Evers Home Museum • Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum • Mississippi Museum of Art • Mississippi Museum of Natural Science • Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum • The Oaks House Museum/Boyd House • Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center • The City of Jackson Fire Museum • The International Museum of Muslim Cultures

[edit] Historic sites

Old Capitol Museum of Mississippi History • Mississippi Governor's Mansion • Manship House Museum • The Oaks House Museum/Boyd House • King Edward Hotel • Standard Life Insurance Building • Greenwood Cemetery

[edit] Periodic cultural events

[edit] Parks

LeFleur's Bluff State Park • Battlefield Park • Parham Bridges Park • Sheppard Brothers Park • Smith Park • Sykes Park • Grove Park

[edit] Sports

[edit] Summer Training Camp

[edit] Sports arenas

[edit] Current professional sports teams

[edit] Former professional sports teams

[edit] Noteworthy natives

Jackson has given birth to many notable people. From writers Eudora Welty and Willie Morris and civil rights leaders Medgar Evers and James Meredith to rapper David Banner, jazz legend Cassandra Wilson, and sports stars Fred Smoot and Jim Gallagher, Jr. Actors, artists, authors, cooks, inventors, musicians, painters, sports figures and more, Jackson has contributed significantly to America's culture.

(see: List of people from Mississippi for a more in-depth list)

[edit] Trivia

  • Rap Rocker Kid Rock made a song titled "Jackson, Mississippi" in 2003
  • Jackson sits atop an extinct volcano and is the only capital city or major population center to have this feature. The peak of the volcano is located 2900 feet directly below the Mississippi Coliseum.[20]
  • The world's first human lung transplant was performed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, in 1963.[21]
  • The world's first heart transplant, using the heart of a chimpanzee (man's closest genetic relation), was performed at the Center in 1964. It beat for 90 minutes before it stopped.[22]
  • "Jackson" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship. The song relates the desire of the husband and wife to travel to Jackson, Mississippi, where they each look forward to a new life free of the unhappy relationship. Famous covers of the song include the 1968 Grammy Award winner by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The song was performed by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (playing Johnny Cash and June Carter) in the 2005 film Walk the Line.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Mississippi: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CSV). 2006 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division (2007-06-28). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  4. ^ Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population for Counties of Mississippi: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CSV). 2006 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division (2007-03-22). Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  5. ^ Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (Microsoft Excel). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-09-30.
  6. ^ WorldWeb.com Travel Guide
  7. ^ Official City of Jackson, Mississippi Website - Jackson's History
  8. ^ Civil Rights Movement Veterans. "Freedom Rides". 
  9. ^ Civil Rights Movement Veterans. "Tougaloo 9". 
  10. ^ Civil Rights Movement Veterans. "Jackson MS, Boycotts". 
  11. ^ Civil Rights Movement Veterans. "Jackson Sit-in & Protests". 
  12. ^ Medgar Evers Assassination ~ Civil Rights Movement Veterans
  13. ^ Associated Press. "Mayor of U.S. city failing the hard test of crime prevention", Taipei Times, July 27, 2006. Retrieved on [[March 9, 2007]]. (English) 
  14. ^ USA Today. "Mayor appoints sheriff who arrested him -- twice -- as police chief", USA Today, November 16, 2007. Retrieved on [[November 19, 2007]]. (English) 
  15. ^ The Clarion-Ledger. "Jackson ranked 23rd most dangerous city in group's crime analysis", The Clarion-Ledger, November 19, 2007. Retrieved on [[November 19, 2007]]. (English) 
  16. ^ Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000, United States Census Bureau
  17. ^ Facts and Findings from The Gay and Lesbian Atlas
  18. ^ USA International Ballet Competition
  19. ^ Downtown Jackson Partners
  20. ^ of Mississippi, University. "The Geology of Mississippi", University of Mississippi, 2003-12-12. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. 
  21. ^ University Mississippi Medical Center
  22. ^ University of Mississippi Medical Center
v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Hinds County, Mississippi
County seat: Jackson & Raymond
Cities

Clinton | Jackson‡ | Raymond
Map of Mississippi highlighting Hinds County
Towns
CDP
Communities
Footnotes

‡This city also has portions in adjacent county or counties
v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Madison County, Mississippi
County seat: Canton
Cities

Canton | Jackson‡ | Madison | Ridgeland
Map of Mississippi highlighting Madison County
Town
Communities
Footnotes

‡This city also has portions in adjacent county or counties
v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Rankin County, Mississippi
County seat: Brandon
Cities

Brandon | Flowood | Jackson‡ | Pearl | Richland
Map of Mississippi highlighting Rankin County
Towns
Village
Communities
Footnotes

‡This city also has portions in adjacent county or counties
Flag of Mississippi
v • d • e
State of Mississippi
Jackson (capital)
Topics

Mississippians | Governors | Lieutenant Governors | Legislature | State Parks | Music | History | Geography
Regions

The Delta | Golden Triangle | Gulf Coast | Mississippi Plain | Natchez District | Pine Belt | Tennessee Valley
Metros

Gulfport-Biloxi | Hattiesburg | Jackson | Memphis (TN) | Pascagoula
Larger Cities

Biloxi | Clarksdale | Clinton | Columbus | Greenville | Gulfport | Hattiesburg | Jackson | Meridian | Olive Branch | Pascagoula | Pearl | Ridgeland | Southaven | Starkville | Tupelo | Vicksburg
Smaller Cities

Bay St. Louis | Brandon | Brookhaven | Canton | Cleveland | Corinth | Gautier | Greenwood | Grenada | Horn Lake | Indianola | Itta Bena | Laurel | Long Beach | Madison | McComb | Moss Point | Natchez | Ocean Springs | Oxford | Pass Christian | Picayune | Tunica | Waveland | West Hattiesburg (Oak Grove) | West Point | Yazoo City
Counties

Adams | Alcorn | Amite | Attala | Benton | Bolivar | Calhoun | Carroll | Chickasaw | Choctaw | Claiborne | Clarke | Clay | Coahoma | Copiah | Covington | DeSoto | Forrest | Franklin | George | Greene | Grenada | Hancock | Harrison | Hinds | Holmes | Humphreys | Issaquena | Itawamba | Jackson | Jasper | Jefferson | Jefferson Davis | Jones | Kemper | Lafayette | Lamar | Lauderdale | Lawrence | Leake | Lee | Leflore | Lincoln | Lowndes | Madison | Marion | Marshall | Monroe | Montgomery | Neshoba | Newton | Noxubee | Oktibbeha | Panola | Pearl River | Perry | Pike | Pontotoc | Prentiss | Quitman | Rankin | Scott | Sharkey | Simpson | Smith | Stone | Sunflower | Tallahatchie | Tate | Tippah | Tishomingo | Tunica | Union | Walthall | Warren | Washington | Wayne | Webster | Wilkinson | Winston | Yalobusha | Yazoo
v • d • e
United States state capital cities
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson%2C_Mississippi"
Personal tools