"Capitol of Mississippi Under... " a Jackson Travel Page by atufft

The city of Jackson has been the administrative center of Mississippi since 1821 when French trapper village of LeFluer's Bluff was renamed in honor of Andrew Jackson, victorious general at the Battle of New Orleans and 7th president of the USA. Subject to siege by Sherman's army twice during the civil war, Jackson remained a small and quiet capitol until after the 20th century. While other commercial Mississippi cities, such as Vicksburg, Greenville, and Natchez, grew as a result of their location on the Mississippi River, Jackson's commercial growth came with the building of the railroads, especially after the Civil War. During the 20th century, Jackson's growth has accelerated such that it now is the most populated city in the state.

The south in general, and Mississippi in particular, contributes more than it's share of young men for the army, marines, and navy. Not surprisingly, Jackson has numerous memorials devoted toward defense of the state and the nation. Mississippi was a rebel state during the civil war, and pride concerning the battle of Vicksburg and other civil war engagements are evident here, as is the confederate flag embedded in the state flag. Thus antebellum south still tugs at the culture here; however, civil rights era struggles also often centered on Jackson. For example, the "Freedom Riders", bus loads of mixed white and blacks, mostly college students who dared break Jim Crow segregation laws of southern states, were stopped, forceably removed and arrested by angry police officers before they could finish their trek to New Orleans. In the past, state laws forbade alcoholic beverages within a ring that wrapped around the city, but this is no longer the case as the city emerges into what city leaders would like to see within a controlled and affluent city center.

Gifted with many fine government buildings, Jackson is the hub of state bureaucracy during the weekdays and a sleepy and relatively empty capitol city during nights and weekends. However, there is an impressive effort to restore old hotels and office towers, and to bring new architecture into this urban landscape.Today, Jackson remains a relatively quiet city with a large inventory of 1930 era highrises in need of restoration. There is certainly a concerted effort to bring modernity to this quiet capitol as construction is everywhere within the downtown area. Considerable credit go to Jackson residents who I met. Mary Current, at the visitor's center, comes to mind immediately.