Jackson Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Village · Dakota County · Population 207 (2020 census) · ZIP 68743 · Founded 1860 · Peak population 339 (1900)

About Jackson

Jackson is a village of 207 just off US 20 in northern Dakota County, about 11 miles west of South Sioux City. It has St. Patrick Catholic Church, Jackson Elementary (Ponca Public Schools), the Jackson Public Library, Palermo Italian Cuisine and Bar and a Pump & Pantry.

History

In 1856 Father Jeremiah Trecy led about 60 Irish Catholic settlers from Garryowen, Iowa, to found St. John's, about 1.5 miles north of today's Jackson. It grew to nearly 200 people and in 1858 outpolled Dakota City for county seat, 263 to 260, though the seat did not move. A tornado destroyed its church on July 15, 1860, and the parish rebuilt about a mile south at Jackson; St. John's itself has vanished.

Jackson was laid out about 1860 as Franklin and renamed for Andrew Jackson because another post office already had the name Franklin. It incorporated on January 2, 1865. The brick St. Patrick's Church was built in 1879–80. The population peaked at 339 in 1900. Lewis and Clark passed here on August 21, 1804, the day after Sergeant Charles Floyd died.

Highways and trails through Jackson

Route	One way	Other way
US 20Along the northwest edge of the village	West to NE 12 at Willis (about 4 mi) and Ponca	East to South Sioux City (about 11 mi)

Nearby towns

Willis	about 4 mi west	US 20
Goodwin	about 5 mi west	US 20 and county roads
Hubbard	about 6 mi south	County roads
Ponca	about 11 mi northwest	US 20 and NE 12
South Sioux City	about 11 mi east	US 20
Dakota City	about 11 mi southeast	US 20, NE 110 and NE 35

Things to see

St. Patrick Church, 119 E. Elk St., with the St. John's historical marker · Lewis and Clark Campsite marker on US 20 · Jackson Public Library, 223 N. John St.

Schools and health care

Schools: Jackson Elementary (Ponca Public Schools, pre-K–2), 223 N. John St.

Health care: No clinic; clinics in South Sioux City and Ponca (about 11 mi each); hospitals in Sioux City (about 13 mi)

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Warner, History of Dakota County (1893); National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Department of Transportation route mileposts. Distances marked "about" are estimates.