Jackson

History

For centuries, many indigenous peoples called this area home, including the Cheyenne, Ioway, and Dakota tribes. In 1851, the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux opened the region to white settlement in exchange for government payments. Jackson was originally called Springfield, and was laid out under that name in 1856. The first settlers in what is now Jackson County—William, George, and Charles Wood—established a trading post near the Des Moines River around the same time. A post office called Jackson has been in operation since 1858. On March 26, 1857, the Wahpekute Dakota Chief Inkpaduta and his band attacked the settlement in the Spirit Lake Massacre. There were 11 able-bodied men in Springfield, and three men, three children, and a woman died in the attack. Also lost to the raiders were 12 horses, dry goods, lead and powder. The attack's sole survivor was 14-year-old Abbie Gardner. Terrified of a possible second attack, the beleaguered residents abandoned the area. Two months later, the Minnesota legislature organized the area into a county, naming it after Saint Paul merchant Henry Jackson. The temporary county seat was at the townsite of Springfield, now renamed Jackson. But the area was still depopulated, and resettlement was slow due to continued hostility. In August 1862, the Dakota, angry at late payments from the government, skirmished with settlers; one such skirmish compelled some Dakota leaders to attack government buildings in the Minnesota River, starting the U.S.-Dakota War. By August 24, the war's effects had reached Jackson County. Warriors raided a community of Norwegian immigrants in Belmont Township, north of Jackson, killing 13 and wounding three. As in 1857, the remaining settlers fled, leaving Jackson County depopulated again. After the Civil…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. The city lies along Interstate 90, which runs east to west the entire width of Minnesota. Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 71 are two of the main routes in the city. Jackson is near the center of Jackson County. To the south is the Iowa Lakes region, which comprises Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake, and several other small lakes.

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  441
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  426
• Common Grackle

  Quiscalus quiscula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  311
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  304
• Killdeer

  Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  247
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  224
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  213
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  212

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2021-06-30
  4 km E of Rembrandt, Iowa