Jackson. 1 City (1990 pop. 37,446), seat of Jackson co., S Mich., on the Grand River; inc. 1857. It is an industrial and commercial center in a farm region. The city's chief manufactures are machinery, aerospace components, transportation and electronic equipment, food, metal products, and construction materials. Several automobile models were pioneered in Jackson in the early 20th cent. The first Republican party convention was held in the city on July 6, 1854. Nearby are Spring Arbor College and a state prison.
2 City (1990 pop. 196,637), state capital and seat of Hinds co., W central Miss., on the Pearl River; inc. 1833. It is the state's largest city and geographic center, with important rail, warehouse, and distribution operations. Industries include food processing and the manufacture of glass, paper, and metal products; lumber; machinery; consumer goods; furniture; and concrete. The site of the city, a trading post known as Le Fleur's Bluff near the Natchez Trace, was chosen and laid out as the state capital in 1821 and named for Andrew Jackson. The first U.S. law giving property rights to married women was passed there in 1839. During the Civil War, Jackson was a military center for the Vicksburg campaign and was largely destroyed by Sherman's forces in 1863. The old capitol (1839) is preserved as a museum; the new capitol was completed in 1903. Among the many points of interest are the governor's mansion (erected 1839); city hall, which was used as a hospital during the Civil War; a 220-acre (89-hectare) scale model of the Mississippi River flood control system; Mynelle's Gardens; Jackson Zoological Park; museums of art, natural history, state history, and civil rights; a notable Confederate monument; Eudora Welty's home; and many antebellum houses. Belhaven College, Jackson State Univ., and the Univ. of Mississippi Medical Center are there, and nearby are Tougaloo College and Mississippi College. During the 1960s, Jackson was the scene of considerable racial unrest.
3 City (1990 pop. 48,949), seat of Madison co., W Tenn., on the South Fork of the Forked Deer River; founded by a nephew of Andrew Jackson, inc. 1823. It is a processing and rail shipping point for an extensive farm area. The city has railroad shops and industries that package food and produce textiles and consumer goods. Jackson's development as a trucking center has added to its economic strength. It is the seat of Lane College, Lambuth College, and Union Univ. Nearby are the West Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station of the Univ. of Tennessee and a state park with Native American mounds. Casey Jones is buried in Jackson; his home and the Casey Jones railroad museum are here. A tornado in 2003 severely damaged sections of the city.
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