Jackson is a town in East Feliciana Parish,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, United States. The population was 3,842 at the 2010 U.S. census, down from 4,130 in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

; the 2020

population estimates program The Population Estimates Program (PEP) is a program of the U.S. Census Bureau that publishes annual population estimates and estimates of birth, death, and international migration rates for people in the United States. In addition to publishing t ...

determined Jackson had a population of 3,707. It is part of the

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

metropolitan statistical area.

History

The town of Jackson was founded in 1815 as the seat of justice for Feliciana Parish before the parish was divided into East and

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. The town was a major commercial center and a center for education, earning it the title "Athens of the South". Legend holds that the town was originally called "Bear Corners" for the many wild black bears crossing nearby Thompson Creek, and that it eventually took its name from General

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

, who reportedly camped there with his troops on the return trip north after the 1815

Battle of New Orleans The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815, between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the Frenc ...

. Jackson was the parish seat only until 1824, when Feliciana Parish was split into two parishes, with Clinton selected as the new seat of government in East Feliciana. Jackson was the location of the College of Louisiana from 1825 until 1845, and then the

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

-affiliated Centenary College from 1845 until 1908, when it relocated to

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

. The East Louisiana State Hospital was founded in Jackson in 1847.

Geography

Jackson is located on the western edge of East Feliciana Parish. The town's western border is Thompson Creek, which is also the border with West Feliciana Parish. Louisiana Highway 10 passes through Jackson, leading east to Clinton and west 12 miles to St. Francisville overlooking the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Jackson has a total area of , of which , or 0.15%, is water.

Demographics

At the 2000 United States census, there were 4,130 people, 841 households, and 596 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 992 housing units at an average density of . At the 2020

, 3,707 people lived in the town. By the 2020 United States census, there were 3,990 people, 750 households, and 488 families residing in the town. In 2000, the racial makeup of the town was 46.56%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 52.30%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.15% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.34% of the population. In 2019, 37.3% of the population were White, 59.9% Black and African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.6% some other race, and 1.1% two or more races. According to the 2000 U.S. census, were 841 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 21.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% 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 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 15.1% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 44.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 226.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 264.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $27,455, and the median income for a family was $32,450. Males had a median income of $20,917 versus $17,896 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $12,039. About 18.7% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 27.8% of those under age 18 and 20.2% of those age 65 or over. The 2019

American community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimated the median household income was $34,063.

Arts and culture

The Republic of West Florida Historical Museum has its

Narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter cur ...

.Steamlocomotive.info
/ref> Other points of interest include the Centenary College of Louisiana at Jackson.

Education

Colleges and universities

A branch of Baton Rouge Community College is presently located in Jackson.

Primary and secondary schools

East Feliciana Parish School Board serves Jackson. Schools within Jackson include: * East Feliciana High School * Jackson Elementary School

Government and infrastructure

The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections operates the Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson.Dixon Correctional Institute
." Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Retrieved on August 29, 2010.

Notable people

* Kendell Beckwith, linebacker for NFL's

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

* Danny Johnson, cornerback for NFL's

Washington Commanders The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division ...

* John Welch Jones, M. D. (1826–1916) medical doctor and Civil War cavalry officerJohn Welch Jones, M. D.
In: Alceé Fortier, editor. Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), 1914: pp. 210-211. * Junius Wallace Jones, major general of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

* Eddie Robinson,

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

coach in

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

* Merriell Shelton, U.S. Marine Corps Corporal featured in The Pacific

References

External links

* * {{authority control * Towns in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana Towns in Louisiana Baton Rouge metropolitan area Populated places established in 1815 1815 establishments in the United States