Jackson, Minnesota

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 payments from the government.

Jackson was originally called Springfield, and under the latter name was laid out 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 heading north after the Spirit Lake Massacre. There were 11 able bodied men in Springfield and three men, three children and one woman died as a result. Lost to the raiders were 12 horses, dry goods, lead and powder. The sole survivor of the Spirit Lake attack was 14 year old Abbie Gardner and was present. Terrified of a possible second attack, the beleaguered survivors abandoned the area.

Two months later, the Minnesota State Legislature organized the area into a county, naming it after Saint Paul merchant Henry Jackson. The temporary county seat was located at the townsite of Springfield, now renamed Jackson. The area was still depopulated, however, 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 US-Dakota War. By August 24, the effects of the war had reached Jackson County. Warriors raided a community of Norwegian immigrants in Belmont Township north of Jackson, killing thirteen and wounding three. As in 1857, the remaining settlers fled, leaving Jackson County depopulated once more.

After the Civil War, resettlement in Jackson County began again. A stockade was built on the east side of the river, encouraging further immigration. These immigrants primarily came from Northern and Central Europe. They built their homes from native timber and prairie sod. Life remained difficult; there were no wagon roads, no bridges, no churches, and only one school that served the community. The threat of attack remained, and the region was susceptible to numerous disasters including prairie fire, severe blizzards, crop failures, and plagues of grasshoppers. Despite such hardship, these hardy, courageous pioneers survived and helped establish the prosperous agricultural and industrial community that Jackson is today.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.60 sqmi, of which 4.58 sqmi is land and 0.02 sqmi is water.

The city lies along Interstate 90, which runs east to west the entire width of southern Minnesota. Interstate 90 and U.S. Highway 71 are two of the main routes in the city. Jackson is located near the center of the county of the same name. To the south is the Iowa Lakes region, which comprises Spirit Lake, West Okoboji Lake and several other small lakes.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,299 people, 1,489 households, and 856 families living in the city. The population density was 720.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,635 housing units at an average density of 357.0 /sqmi. 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 of 2000, there were 3,501 people, 1,487 households, and 887 families living in the city. The population density was 921.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,659 housing units at an average density of 436.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 94.03% White, 0.26% African American, 0.17% Native American, 4.03% Asian, 0.77% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.

There were 1,487 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,452, and the median income for a family was $42,553. Males had a median income of $30,503 versus $21,676 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,444. About 4.6% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Historic sites

 * Ashley Park – Olson-Slaabakken cabin, Jackson County's oldest structure.
 * Fort Belmont – 1873 farmhouse, blacksmith shop, log cabin and stockade, 1902 Delafield Lutheran Church.
 * Jackson County Fair Village – 20 historical buildings and is located at the Jackson County Fairgrounds
 * Jackson County Historical Society and Museum – west of Jackson at Lakefield, Minnesota, provides a look back at the County's history.
 * Jackson County Courthouse – Constructed in 1908 with murals adorning the Court Room and Rotunda, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Economy
Though largely a farming community, Jackson has a large industrial park with such businesses as: AGCO, Last-Deck, USF Holland, New Fashion Pork, HitchDoc, and Pioneer. AGCO and Challenger tractors are manufactured in Jackson.

Government
Jackson is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Brad Finstad. At the state level, Jackson is located in Senate District 22, represented by Republican Doug Magnus, and in House District 22B, represented by Republican Brian Pfarr.

Transportation
The city-owned Jackson Municipal Airport is located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north of Jackson's central business district.

Notable people

 * David Ellefson – former Megadeth bassist.
 * Bjarne Elgar Grottunn – Minnesota State Senator who was raised in Jackson.
 * Milton C. Portmann - Professional football player, decorated WWI US Army Officer.
 * Stephen Censky - He served as the United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 through 2020
 * Gary Amdahl - American author and has published six books, and produced nine plays
 * Jeffrey Bullock - Bullock graduated from Jackson High School in Jackson, Minnesota. He is current president of the University of Dubuque, a Presbyterian college in Dubuque, Iowa.
 * Walter Halloran - Assisted in exorcism of Roland Doe. The case inspired William Peter Blatty to write his novel The Exorcist.
 * Willis H. Flygare - Flygare is credited with "outstanding contributions to the understanding of molecular electronic structure" as a professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois.