Jackson, city, seat of Madison County, western Tennessee, on the South Fork of the Forked Deer River; incorporated 1845. It is a commercial, manufacturing, and distribution center in an agricultural area in which cotton, vegetables, fruit, and livestock are raised. Manufactures include plastic products, building materials, processed food, electronic equipment, printed materials, machinery, motor-vehicle parts, textiles, and air conditioners. Jackson is the site of a community college, Union University (1825), Lambuth University (1843), and Lane College (1882). John Luther “Casey” Jones, the locomotive engineer killed in the wreck of the Cannon Ball express train, lived here, and his home now houses a railroad museum. Founded in the early 19th century, the city was originally named Alexandria. It was renamed in 1822 for President Andrew Jackson. Population 49,131 (1980); 48,949 (1990); 59,643 (2000).
