Jackson

Sister cities

• Varel

History

On July 3, 1829, Horace Blackman, accompanied by Alexander Laverty, a land surveyor, and Pewytum, an Indian guide, forded the Grand River and made camp for the night at a site now marked as Trail and N. Jackson Street. They arrived there along a well-traveled Native American trail leading west from Ann Arbor. Blackman had hired Laverty and Pewytum to guide him west. Returning to Ann Arbor and Monroe, Blackman registered his claim for at two dollars an acre. He returned to the Jackson area in August 1829 with his brother Russell. Together they cleared land and built a cabin at what would become the corner of Ingham and Trail streets. The town was first called Jacksonopolis. Later, it was renamed Jacksonburgh. Finally in 1838, the town's name was changed to simply Jackson. Jackson is one of the birthplaces of the Republican Party. The first official meeting of the group that called itself "Republican" was held in Jackson on July 6, 1854. A Michigan historical marker at what is now the northwest corner of Second and Franklin streets in Jackson commemorates an anti-slavery county convention held that day. Meeting outside to avoid a hot, overcrowded hall, the group ultimately selected a slate of candidates for state elections. The marker identifies this as the birth of the Republican Party. The site, an oak grove on "Morgan's Forty," then on the outskirts of town, became known as "Under the Oaks." The political party formally recognizes its birthplace as being Ripon, Wisconsin, where the name "Republican" was first suggested in March 1854. But, Republican presidents have visited Jackson and this marker. Crawfordsville, Iowa also has a claim as the birthplace of the party: the first private meeting of what would become the Republican Party occurred when Whig Party…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.09%) is water. This climate region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Jackson has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Jackson High School
  High · JACKSON · 1,056 students · 19.6:1 ratio
• Northwest High School
  High · JACKSON · 972 students · 18.7:1 ratio
• Northwest Early Elementary School
  Elementary · JACKSON · 869 students · 19.8:1 ratio
• Western High School
  High · PARMA · 846 students · 19.7:1 ratio
• Northwest Kidder Middle School
  Middle · JACKSON · 790 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Northwest Elementary School
  Elementary · JACKSON · 778 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Middle School at Parkside
  Middle · JACKSON · 766 students · 16:1 ratio
• Paragon Charter Academy
  Elementary · JACKSON · 620 students · 16.8:1 ratio