Jackson, city, seat (1821) of Madison county, western Tennessee, U.S. It lies about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Memphis. The area was settled about 1819 as a port on the Forked Deer River and developed as a cotton depot and railroad junction. First called Alexandria, the community was renamed in 1822 to honour General (later President) Andrew Jackson. It was used as a supply point by both Confederate and Union troops during the American Civil War and was the site of a minor engagement (December 19, 1862) led by Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Jackson’s growth was fostered by the establishment there of Union University (1823; affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention), Lambuth University (1843; United Methodist), and Lane College (1882; Christian Methodist Episcopal). Jackson State Community College opened in 1967. The city’s modern economy is well diversified, based on agriculture (notably cotton, corn [maize], and soybeans), industry (including the manufacture of lawn and garden equipment, power tools, flooring, appliances, and air compressors), and its educational facilities. Food processing is also important.
John Luther (“Casey”) Jones, the railroad engineer famed for his skill with a locomotive whistle who was killed in a wreck (1900) on an Illinois Central train, is buried in Jackson’s Mount Calvary Cemetery; his home is now a railroad museum. Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, about 10 miles (15 km) south of the city, contains prehistoric Native American mounds of the Middle Woodland period. Shiloh National Military Park, the site of one of the bloodiest Civil War battles (April 6–7, 1862), is about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Jackson, near the Mississippi border. Chickasaw and Natchez Trace state parks are nearby. Inc. town, 1823; city, 1845. Pop. (2000) 59,643; Jackson Metro Area, 107,377; (2010) 65,211; Jackson Metro Area, 115,425.