Sunday, May 2 – Big day for us!
Part I---Due to rain this morning we decided to drive to Jackson, MS – the state capital. The City of Jackson was founded in 1821 at the site of a trading post situated on a bluff on the west bank of the Pearl River. Legend tells that the trading post was operated by a French-Canadian trader named Louis LeFleur, and the town originally was called LeFleur's Bluff. A legislative act dated November 28, 1821, authorized the location to be the permanent seat of government for the state and ordered that it be named Jackson in honor of Major General Andrew Jackson who would later become the seventh President of the United States.
During the Civil War, the town was ravaged and burned three times by Union troops under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Surprisingly, the City Hall, which was built in 1846 for less than $8,000, was spared the torch. It was rumored that Sherman bypassed the building, which is still the working seat of municipal government, because it housed a Masonic Lodge and that the Union leader was a Mason. More likely, its use as a hospital was the reason the building was not burned.
We visited the Capitol building…Unfortunately, all the buildings were locked up tight (probably a Homeland Security Issue), but we drove around downtown and enjoyed seeing things.
Here are some pictures of the Capitol building. It was really pretty neat.
It had stained glass windows.
The city had many beautiful churches. We took a few pictures of them.
Saint Andrews Episcopal Cathedral.
Catholic Church
Mississippi College School of Law had some very interesting architecture.
The Governor’s Mansion is a block down from the Capitol.
Jackson doesn’t have skyscrapers, and it isn’t a huge downtown area. To see a few more pictures of the Capitol and other sites, click here.
This is only the first part of our day. Stay turned tomorrow for Part II.
