JACKSON, a city of Michigan, U.S.A., 75m. W. of Detroit, on the Grand river; county seat of Jackson county. It is on Fed eral highways 12 and 127; has a municipal airport of 166ac. (Rey nolds field) ; and is served by the Cincinnati Northern, the Grand Trunk, the Michigan Central, and the New York Central railways, two electric railways, and motor coach and freight lines in every direction. The population was 48,374 in 1920 (87% native white) and was, according to the Federal census of 1930, 55,187. Jack son is in the heart of a beautiful and productive agricultural region. There are 4o lakes in the county, well stocked with fish, and the summer resorts are numerous. The county fair grounds and the Michigan State prison (established 1839) are within the city, and a short distance to the north are large State farms, operated largely by convict labour. The assessed valuation of property in 1927 was $84,877,353. Since 1915 the city has had a commission-manager form of government. Jackson has a large
shipping and distributing trade. The Michigan Central has exten sive shops here, and the city's manufactures are numerous and diversified, with an output in 1925 valued at $62,268,047. Bank clearings in 1926 amounted to $90,800,000. Among the 25o or more factories is one of the largest plants in the country making automobile and tractor wheels. The site of Jackson was a favour ite camping-ground of the Indians, and it was visited as early as 1812 by two soldiers of Harrison's army corps. Permanent settle ment began in 1829. A town was laid out in 1829, made the county seat, and named after Andrew Jackson, then President. For a few years it was called Jacksonburg. It was chartered as a I city in 1857. "Under the oaks of Jackson," at a State conven tion on July 6, 1854, the Republican party was organized and named.