Jackson, Georgia
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Jackson is a city in and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Butts County,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
, United States. The population was 5,045 in
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, up from 3,934 at the 2000 census. The community was named after governor James Jackson.


History

Founded in 1826, Jackson began as a plot purchased for the purpose of starting the town. The plot was divided into squares and each square into lots. The first buyer of a lot in the new town was John D. Swift of
Newton County, Georgia Newton County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,483. The county seat is Covington. Newton County is included in the '' Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, ...
. During the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, much of Jackson was razed by the army of General
William T. Sherman William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
during his March to the Sea. After the war, Jackson, like much of the South, struggled economically for decades. Jackson remained little more than a small village until the arrival of the railroads in the latter half of the 19th century. On May 5, 1882, the first train arrived in Jackson, heralding a new era in the transportation of people and goods. During the 20th century, Jackson grew and industrial
textile mills Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods s ...
became the largest employer of local citizens. The arrival of
Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...
just a few miles to the southwest of the city gave citizens quick access to
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
and Macon. The numerous schools throughout the county consolidated into one central school system located in Jackson, and the schools
desegregated Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...
in 1968. In the 1970s, Jackson slowly became a
bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
. City taxes were also abolished in the 1970s.


Geography

Jackson is located in the center of Butts County at . It is southeast of downtown
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. The
center of population In demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to different geogr ...
of Georgia is located northeast of Jackson near the Butts County/Newton County line. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.50%, is water.


Government

Jackson is governed by an elected city council of five members, each representing a district of the city. The council is presided over by the mayor, who is elected at-large. All officials serve four year terms. The current mayor of Jackson is Carlos Duffey, who was elected in 2022. https://www.jacksonprogress-argus.com/news/carlos-duffey-takes-oath-of-office-as-jacksons-first-black-mayor/article_e49a95d0-6efe-11ec-ac7c-5f677cbb330c.html access-date=November 26, 2022
The city government is established by means of the City Charter.


Media

Jackson is the home of
WJGA-FM WJGA-FM (92.1 FM) broadcasts from Jackson, Georgia, on 92.1 MHz from a 285 feet above ground level tower at 5,500 watts ERP. WJGA-FM is owned by Earnhart Broadcasting Co., Inc. Programming WJGA-FM broadcasts a wide range of entertainment inc ...
92.1. Jackson is a frequent backdrop for a number of television shows. Beginning in 2016, Jackson appeared in ''
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...
'', representing the show's setting in the fictional town of Hawkins,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
in the early 1980s. Exterior filming locations included the downtown (with some buildings freshly painted for filming), a furniture store (standing in for a cinema exterior), and the Butts County Probate court. The popularity of the show has attracted many fans to the town. Other shows which have been filmed in the area include
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
's '' The Originals''.


State prison

The
Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison Opened in 1969, Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison (GDCP) is a Georgia Department of Corrections prison for men in unincorporated Butts County, Georgia, near Jackson. The prison holds the state execution chamber. The execution equipment ...
of the
Georgia Department of Corrections The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) is an agency of the U.S. state of Georgia operating state prisons. The agency is headquartered in Forsyth, on the former campus of Tift College. Headquarters The GDC has its offices in Gibson Hall, lo ...
is a maximum security prison in
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
Butts County about southwest of Jackson. It is home to Georgia's
death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting Capital punishment, execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of ...
and execution facility. The prison is also home to maximum security general population (non-death row).


Demographics


2020 census

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 5,557 people, 1,799 households, and 1,141 families residing in the city.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,934 people, 1,510 households, and 996 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,668 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 53.71% White, 44.26% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.27% of the population. There were 1,510 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.18. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,472, and the median income for a family was $34,773. Males had a median income of $30,331 versus $20,994 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,702. About 16.8% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 29.0% of those age 65 or over.


Education

The
Butts County School District The Butts County School District is a public school district in Butts County, Georgia, United States, based in Jackson, Georgia. It serves the communities of Flovilla, Jackson, and Jenkinsburg, Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Ge ...
, grades pre-school to twelve, consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 184 full-time teachers and over 3,370 students.School Stats
Retrieved June 1, 2010. *Hampton L. Daughtry Elementary School *Jackson Elementary School *Stark Elementary School *Henderson Middle School * Jackson High School


Notable people

*
Neiron Ball Neiron Ball (August 20, 1992 – September 9, 2019) was an American football linebacker for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida and was drafted by the Oakland Raider ...
, former NFL
outside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
for the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
*
Mac Collins Michael Allen "Mac" Collins (October 15, 1944 – November 20, 2018) was an American businessman and politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2005, representing (previously from 1993 to ...
, former
U.S. Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
*
Douglass Watson Larkin Douglass Watson III (February 24, 1921 — May 1, 1989) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Mac Cory on the daytime soap opera '' Another World''. Life and career Watson was born in Jackson, Georgia, the son ...
, actor, best known for his portrayal of
Mac Cory Mackenzie "Mac" Cory is a fictional character from the daytime soap opera, '' Another World''. Originally portrayed by Robert Emhardt from 1973 to 1974, Douglass Watson portrayed the role from 1974 until 1989. Mac was one of the ''Another Worlds ...
on the
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
'' Another World'' * Casey King, reality television star, best known for his weight loss journey on the
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...
series ''Family by the Ton''


References


External links


City of Jackson official website
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Butts County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Populated places established in 1826 1826 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)