There is not much mystery to the origin of Jackson County 's name. It was named for our 7th president of the United States , Andrew Jackson.   Jackson County is located in the middle of the southern portion of Michigan 's Lower Peninsula . Originally the area was inhabited by Kickapoo, Shawnee , Pottawatomi, Sac and Fox Indians.   Settlement began in 1829 when Horace Blackman moved from New York and built a log cabin. Blackman is recognized as the father of the county, and a township to the north is named after him. In the 1830's Jackson saw growth when it decided to build prisons.   At one time Jackson had the worlds largest walled prison occupying 57 ½ acres. Jackson County also proclaims it's the "Birthplace of the Republican Party". On July 6th, 1854 Jackson is where the first official Republican meeting took place; however, the first informal meeting of the party took place in a small town near Milwaukee , called Ripon , Wisconsin . The Republican Party was organized by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. In 1860 the party managed to elect their first president, Abraham Lincoln.   One of Jackson County 's better known attractions is The Cascade Falls Park. Billed as the largest constructed waterfalls in North America , the falls were the brain child of "Captain" William Sparks, who donated the 457 acre park to the city.   Sparks wanted the park to have something no other city in Michigan had, so in the 1930's he constructed a series of 18 waterfalls, several fountains, and then he added lights and music.   The show takes place nightly from Memorial Day to Labor Day.   Providing the headwaters to the Huron and Raisin rivers that flow into Lake Erie, the Grand, Kalamazoo and St Joseph Rivers that flow into Lake Michigan, thousands of acres of state land and more than 90 lakes Jackson County always makes a big impression.

Jackson County Websites and Locations of Interest

http://www.co.jackson.mi.us/parks/CascadesPark.asp - Jackson County Cascades Info