Virtual Jackson

Scenes and Structures From A Cities Past

Jackson, Michigan: 1900 to 1920

Welcome to the site dedicated to a city that is mostly a memory. It is a city that for all intents and purposes ceased to exist after the urban renewal cycle of the 1960's. It is the city that anyone born in the "boom" generation would be familiar with. This city was a city that existed before the era of the shopping mall, a city where department stores, restaraunts, drug stores and hardware stores thrived. This city was Jackson, Michigan.

The city that is Jackson today is a different place. It has survived the razing of a significant portion of its former self. It has withstood the loss of its industrial base and retooled itself for the service economy of today. But the story of today's Jackson is for another time. This image archive will take you on a virtual tour through the city of Jackson at a time when, much like today, it was poised to enter a new age - the 20th century.

The archive will in time contain over 230 images, arranged categorically. In addition, with the use of maps from the 1916 survey of the city, the scenes and structures will be located geographically whenever possible. The Virtual Jackson Project would like to thank Mr. Ed Rutkowski for his special assistance in aquiring the images of the 1916 survey and Mr. Steve Herr for his logistical assistance.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the images contained here, please contact the Virtual Jackson Project at smithred@att.net

Image Catagories