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The earliest people to live in Jackson, Mississippi were Choctaw Indians. Their mounds and burial grounds can still be found in and around most of central Mississippi.
Mississippi became a territory of the United States in 1798, with Natchez at it's first capital. At that time, there were only about 8,000 people in theentire Territory. Besides the Mississippi River, the other means of transportation was theNatchez Trace. The Natchez Trace runs from Natchez, Mississippi through Jackson,Mississippi and ends in Nashville, Tennessee. This old Indian trail became one of the mostimportant roads in America's growing frontier. The Trace is still a beautiful road to travel.
In 1817 Mississippi had grown sufficiently to qualify for statehood. Whileeveryone knows that Mississippi takes its name from the great riverwhich marks its western boundary, it is not generally known that somewanted to call the new state "Washington". The proposal failed by a voteof 23 for Mississippi, to 17 for Washington. On December 19, 1817,Mississippi became the twentieth state of the Union.
For many years, the capital of Mississippi was Natchez. In late 1821 twostate commissioners were sent out to find a centrally located city thatcould serve the entire state as it's capital city. They came to a spotknown as LeFleur's Bluff, a small trading post on the west bank of thePearl River. With its beautiful surroundings, abundant timber, navigablewaters and nearness to the Natchez Trace this seemed to be theperfect choice. As a result of finding this ideal location, Jackson, Mississippi was born.
The City of Jackson was founded in 1821 at the site of a trading post situated on a bluff on the west bank of the Pearl River. Legend tells that the trading post was operated by a French-Canadian trader named Louis LeFleur, and the town originally was call LeFleur’s Bluff.
The Mississippi State legislature wanted the seat of government moved out of the Natchez area and into a more central location. It commissioned three men to locate an ideal place for a town that could become the state capital.
After surveying areas north and east of Jackson, Thomas Hinds, James Patton and William Lattimore proceeded southwest along the Pearl River until they reached LeFleur'’ Bluff in Hinds County. Their report to the General Assembly was this location had beautiful and healthful surroundings, good water, abundant timber, navigable waters, and nearness to the Natchez Trace.
A legislative act dated November 28, 1821, authorized the location to be the permanent seat of government for the state and that it would be named Jackson, in honor of Major General Andrew Jackson who would later become the seventh president of the United States.
During the Civil War, the town was ravaged and burned three times by Union troops under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Surprisingly, the City Hall, which was built in 1846 for less than $8,000, was spared the torch. It was rumored that Sherman bypassed the building, which is still the working seat of municipal government, because it housed a Masonic Lodge and that the Union leader was a mason. More likely, its use as a hospital was the reason the building was not burned.
Although less than 8,000 people lived in the Jackson area at the turn of the century, its population began accelerating rapidly after 1900, and it is now one of the dynamic growth areas of the Sunbelt. The latest figures put Jackson’s population at 202,062.
The year 1985 marked a change in the form of government in Jackson. During a special election, in the fall of 1984, citizens voted to replace the three-man commission, with the mayor and commissioners elected at large, to a mayor-council form of government. The process allows for the mayor to be elected at-large and seven council members elected from wards.
In 1997, Jackson elected its first black mayor, Harvey Johnson, Jr. Other elected officials include: Council Members Ben Allen, Ward 1; Les B. McLemore, Ward 2; Kenneth I. Stokes, Ward 3; William "Bo" Brown, Ward 4; C. Daryl Neely, Ward 5; Allen G. "Chip" Reno, Ward 6; and Margaret C. Barrett, Ward 7.
The building of a new state house had top priority and a $3,500 contract was awarded to build Mississippi's first capitol, a two-story brick structure 40 feet by 30 feet.
Shortly after the adoption of the Constitution of 1832 that ensured that Jackson would be the permanent capital, the Mississippi legislature authorized the construction of a new, and much larger house of government.
This magnificent example of Greek Revival architecture remained the seat of state government until 1903. It lay dormant for several years, and then served as state offices until the late 1950's. Having survived several threats of destruction, the old Capitol was lovingly restored and opened to the public as a state historical museum in 1961.
A third capitol building, referred to as the "New Capitol" was completed in 1903. This magnificent structure, patterned after the National Capitol, is a major tourist attraction today, as well as the focus of Mississippi State government activities.
Two other buildings are worthy of note. The Governor's Mansion, authorized in 1839 and completed in 1842, is the second oldest residence of its type in the nation and is listed in the national register of historic places. Jackson's City Hall, built in 1846 for less than $8,000 is still the working seat of municipal government after more than 140 years. The massively-columned three story building and the gardens that surround it are two of the most photographed locations in the city.
Jackson's growth in the 1800's was slow and sometimes painful. During the Civil War, the town was ravaged and burned three times by Union troops under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Surprisingly, the City Hall was spared the torch. It was rumored that Sherman bypassed the building because it housed a Masonic Lodge and that the Union leader was a Mason. More likely its use as a hospital was the reason the building was not burned.
Although less than 8,000 people lived in the Jackson area at the turn of the century, its population began accelerating rapidly after 1900, and it is now one of the dynamic growth areas of the Sunbelt. In 1990, the population of the Metropolitan area rose to 395,396. It is a major distribution center with a prime location equal distance between Memphis and New Orleans, north-south, and between Dallas and Atlanta, east-west.
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