Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,323 at the 2020 census.
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 War, resettlement in Jackson County began again. A stockade was built on the east side of the river, encouraging further immigration. Immigrants came mainly from northern and central Europe. They built homes from native timber and prairie sod. Life remained difficult; there were no wagon roads, no bridges, no churches, and only one school. The threat of attack remained, and the region was susceptible to disasters, including prairie fires, severe blizzards, crop failures, and plagues of grasshoppers. But the pioneers survived and helped establish the agricultural and industrial community Jackson is today.
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.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Jackson had a population of 3,323. The median age was 39.9 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.5 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,526 households in Jackson, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.8% were married-couple households, 24.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 3,299 people, 1,489 households, and 856 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,635 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 1,509 households, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age in the city was 40.8 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 19.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census
Education
The Jackson County School Board operates the county's public schools.
thumb|The Jackson County Central High School in Jackson, Minnesota
Jackson is home to Minnesota West Community and Technical College, which is affiliated with the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities.
Transportation
The city-owned Jackson Municipal Airport is 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north of Jackson's central business district.
Media
Television
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
!style="background:#ccccff;" |Channel
!style="background:#ccccff;" rowspan="2" |Callsign
!style="background:#ccccff;" rowspan="2" |Affiliation
!style="background:#ccccff;" rowspan="2" |Branding
!style="background:#ccccff;" colspan="2" |Subchannels
!style="background:#ccccff;" rowspan="2" |Owner
|-
!style="background:#ffcccc;" | (Virtual)
!style="background:#ffcccc;" | Channel
!style="background:#ffcccc" | Programming
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2.1
| rowspan="2" | K22MY-D<br /><small>(KTCA Translator)</small>
| rowspan="2" | PBS
| rowspan="2" | TPT 2
| 2.2
| style="text-align:left" | Minnesota Channel
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| 2.4
| style="text-align:left" | PBS Kids
|-
| rowspan="3" | 4.1
| rowspan="3" | K35IZ-D
| rowspan="3" | CBS
| rowspan="3" | WCCO 4
| 4.2
| style="text-align:left" | Start TV
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| 17.1
| style="text-align:left" | Youtoo America
|-
| 18.1
| style="text-align:left" | Laff
|-
| 5.1
| K17MY-D<br /><small>(KSTP Translator)</small>
| ABC
| 5 Eyewitness News
| 5.7
| style="text-align:left" | Heroes & Icons
| style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| rowspan="3" | 5.2
| rowspan="3" | K29LV-D<br /><small>(KSTC Translator)</small>
| rowspan="3" | Ind.
| rowspan="3" | 45 TV
| 5.3
| style="text-align:left" | MeTV
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| 5.4
| style="text-align:left" | Antenna TV
|-
| 5.6
| style="text-align:left" | This TV
|-
| rowspan="2" | 9.2
| rowspan="2" | K34NU-D<br /><small>(WFTC Translator)</small>
| rowspan="2" | Ind.
| rowspan="2" | FOX 9 Plus
| 9.3
| style="text-align:left" | Movies!
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| 9.1
| style="text-align:left" | FOX
|-
| rowspan="3" | 11.4
| rowspan="3" | K19HZ-D<br /><small>(KARE Translator)</small>
| rowspan="3" | NBC
| rowspan="3" | KARE 11
| 11.5
| style="text-align:left" | Court TV
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| 11.6
| style="text-align:left" | True Crime Network
|-
| 11.7
| style="text-align:left" | Quest
|-
| rowspan="5" | 16.1
| rowspan="5" | K23FO-D
| rowspan="5" | Coop TV
| rowspan="5" |
| 16.2
| style="text-align:left" | The Action Channel
| rowspan="5" style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| 16.3
| style="text-align:left" | Heartland
|-
| 16.4
| style="text-align:left" | AMG TV
|-
| 16.5
| style="text-align:left" | Biz TV
|-
| 23.5
| style="text-align:left" | Grit
|-
| rowspan="3" | 23.1
| rowspan="3" | K28OI-D<br /><small>(WUCW Translator)</small>
| rowspan="3" | CW
| rowspan="3" | CW 23
| 23.2
| style="text-align:left" | Comet
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| 23.3
| style="text-align:left" | Charge!
|-
| 23.4
| style="text-align:left" | TBD
|-
| rowspan="5" | 41.1
| rowspan="5" | K30KQ-D<br /><small>(KPXM Translator)</small>
| rowspan="5" | ION
| rowspan="5" | ION
| 41.2
| style="text-align:left" | Qubo
| rowspan="5" style="text-align:left" | Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
|-
| 41.3
| style="text-align:left" | Ion Plus
|-
| 41.4
| style="text-align:left" | ION Shop
|-
| 41.5
| style="text-align:left" | QVC
|-
| 41.6
| style="text-align:left" | HSN
|}
Notable people
- Gary Amdahl, author
- Jeffrey Bullock, president of the University of Dubuque
- Stephen Censky, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2020
- David Ellefson, former Megadeth bassist
- Willis H. Flygare, professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois
- Bjarne Elgar Grottum, Minnesota state senator, raised in Jackson
- Walter Halloran, assisted in Roland Doe's exorcism, which inspired William Peter Blatty's novel The Exorcist
- Milton C. Portmann, professional football player and decorated U.S. Army officer
References
External links
- City of Jackson Official Website
- History of Jackson, MN