[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 97 (Friday, June 20, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1028-E1029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE CITY OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2014

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
City of Jackson, which was founded in 1821, at the site of a trading 
post situated on a ``high handsome bluff'' on the west bank of the 
Pearl River.
  Jackson's history tells that the trading post was operated by a 
French-Canadian trader named Louis LeFleur, and the town originally was 
called LeFleur's Bluff.
  The Mississippi state legislature wanted the seat of government moved 
out of the Natchez area and into a more central location. It 
commissioned three men to locate an ideal place for a town that could 
become the state capital.
  After surveying areas north and east of Jackson, Thomas Hinds, James 
Patton, and William Lattimore proceeded southwest along the Pearl River 
until they came to LeFleur's Bluff in Hinds County. Their report to the 
General Assembly was that this location had ``beautiful and healthful 
surroundings, good water, abundant timber, navigable waters, and 
nearness to the Natchez Trace.''
  A legislative act dated November 28, 1821 authorized the location to 
be the permanent seat of government for the state and that it would be 
named Jackson--in honor of Major General Andrew Jackson who would later 
become the seventh president of the United States.
  The building of a new state house had top priority, and a $3,500 
contract was awarded to build Mississippi's first capitol: a two-story 
brick structure that was 40 feet by 30 feet. Shortly after the adoption 
of the Constitution of 1832, which ensured Jackson would be the 
permanent capital, the Mississippi legislature authorized the 
construction of a new and much larger house of government.
  This magnificent example of Greek Revival architecture remained the 
seat of state government until 1903. It lay dormant for several years, 
and then served as state offices until the late 1950s and as the state 
historical museum until 2005. Surviving extensive damage from Hurricane 
Katrina in 2005, the Old Capitol was lovingly restored and opened to 
the public as a state house museum in 2009.

[[Page E1029]]

  A third capitol building, referred to as the ``New Capitol,'' was 
completed in 1903. This magnificent structure, patterned after the 
National Capitol, is a major tourist attraction today, as well as the 
focus of Mississippi state government activities.
  Two other buildings are worthy of note in Mississippi history. The 
Governor's Mansion, authorized in 1839 and completed in 1842, is the 
second oldest residence of its type in the nation; it is listed on the 
National Register of Historic Places. Jackson's City Hall, built in 
1846 for less than $8,000, is still the working seat of municipal 
government after more than 140 years. The massively-columned, three-
story building and the gardens that surround it are two of the most 
photographed locations in the city.
  Jackson's growth in the 1800s was slow and sometimes painful. 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 was spared the torch. It was rumored that 
Sherman bypassed the building 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.
  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 center with a prime location equal distance between 
Memphis and New Orleans, north-south, and between Dallas and Atlanta, 
east-west.
  As a major distribution center, efficient transportation facilities 
are a must. Eight major air carriers--American Eagle, Continental, 
Delta, Northwest Airlines, US Airways Express, and Southwest Airlines--
provide service in the Jackson International Airport and Hawkins Field. 
Amtrak provides daily passenger service to Chicago and New Orleans. The 
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad and scores of major truck lines provide 
freight service to all parts of the nation.
  A new, state-of-the-art convention center, the Jackson Convention 
Complex, opened in January 2009, in downtown Jackson, the beating heart 
of this vibrant, modern city. JCC offers conferencing technology, a 
380-seat theatre, and more than 110,000 square feet of prime meeting 
and exhibit space. The complex is near Jackson's arts district, hotels, 
entertainment and restaurants.
  Jackson boasts two regional shopping malls, numerous multi-store 
centers, and a wide array of antiques, gift stands and craft shops.
  Eleven hospitals, including the nationally renowned University of 
Mississippi Medical Center, provide diagnoses and treatments for 
thousands of patients in the region.
  Every major church denomination is represented in the city, and there 
are more than 400 houses of worship scattered throughout the 105 square 
miles of community. An excellent public school system is an integral 
part of the area, and one university and six colleges and junior 
colleges are located within 15 miles of Jackson's center.
  Residents of the City with Soul are extremely proud of their Southern 
hospitality and lifestyle. Community support is strong for a symphony 
orchestra, an opera, ballet companies, professional theater groups, and 
a beautiful new art museum.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the City 
of Jackson, Mississippi.

                          ____________________