Jackson was founded in 1821 at the site of a trading post that
was situated on a "high handsome 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.
Although less than 8,000 people lived in the Jackson area at the
turn of the century, its population began accelerating rapidly after 1900, and
it is now one of the dynamic growth areas of the Sunbelt. In 1990, the
population of the Metropolitan area rose to 395,396. It is a major distribution
centre with a prime location equal distance between Memphis and New Orleans,
north-south, and between Dallas and Atlanta, east-west.
As a major distribution centre, efficient transportation facilities are a must.
Eight major air carriers -- American Eagle, ASA, Comair, Continental Express,
Delta, Northwest Airlink, US Airways Express, and Southwest Airlines provide
service in the Jackson International Airport and Hawkins Field. The Illinois
Central Gulf Railroad and scores of major truck lines provide freight service to
all parts of the nation.
