Jackson's Gap

Jackson’s Gap is located in central Tallapoosa County in east-central Alabama. The town has a mayor/council form of government.

History

Battlefield at Horseshoe Bend Jackson’s Gap was not named after Gen. Andrew Jackson, whose defeat of the Creek Nation at nearby Horseshoe Bend opened much of eastern Alabama to white settlement. Rather, the town was named for another man who erected a cabin and traded with the Creeks and local settlers and travelers, possibly in the 1810s or 1820s. Soon after, a man named Patterson established a blacksmith shop there and more settlers began to arrive from Georgia and South Carolina in the 1830s. There was some gold mining activity in the vicinity of Jackson’s Gap, most likely in the 1840s. The Tallapoosa Baptist Church was established in 1854 and currently exists as Jackson’s Gap Baptist Church.

By the 1880s, there was a post office, which was followed by a sawmill and a cotton gin to process the major crop in the area. A variety of other businesses had been established by the early 1900s, including a gristmill, another blacksmith shop, a hat shop, a farm equipment merchant, and a two-story hotel. The town began to decline after World War I, however. One side of Jackson’s Gap suffered a severe fire in either 1921 or 1925, depending on the source, resulting in the destruction of a gristmill, the post office, and a number of stores. A few years later, the other side of town was likewise damaged by fire. Also, the Tallapoosa River flooded in 1925, devastating numerous local farms. Many residents went to work in the textile mills in Alexander City and Dadeville.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Jackson’s Gap recorded a population of 642. Of that number, 88.0 percent reported itself as white, 11.5 percent as African American, and 0.5 percent as Asian. The median household income was $50,833 and per capita income was $23,833.

Employment

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Jackson’s Gap was divided among the following industrial categories:

  • Educational services, and health care and social assistance (23.3 percent)
  • Retail trade (22.7 percent)
  • Manufacturing (22.4 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (8.2 percent)
  • Construction (7.3 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (5.4 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (4.2 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (3.0 percent)
  • Public administration (2.4 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (0.6 percent)
  • Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extraction (0.3 percent)
  • Information (0.3 percent)

Education

Public education in Jackson’s Gap is overseen by the Tallapoosa County Board of Education. There are no schools in the town itself.

Transportation

Jackson’s Gap is located on U.S. Highway 280/State Highway 38, which connect east-central Alabama with Birmingham. The Norfolk Southern Railroad Corporation operates a rail line through Jackson’s Gap.

Events and Places of Interest

The Easter Seals–affiliated Camp ASSCA (Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults), which offers numerous outdoor recreational activities for special needs children and adults, is located nearby. The town also is close to Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, which provides educational and recreational opportunities, and Lake Martin, which is popular with anglers, boaters, and outdoor enthusiasts.

Additional Resources

Tallapoosa County Bicentennial Committee. Tallapoosa County: A History. Alexander City, Alabama: Service Printing Company, 1976.

External Links

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