John James Jackson II served as the 9th mayor of Tampa, Florida.

Biography

John James Jackson II was born in County Monaghan, Ireland. He immigrated to the United States with his brother in 1841. The brothers traveled to New Orleans where John worked as an Assistant City Engineer for two years. In 1843, the federal government hired Jackson to survey a large land grant in present-day Palmetto, Florida

Palmetto, Florida

Palmetto is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was listed as 12,606 It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Palmetto is located at ....

. He accepted this appointment as federal surveyor and then moved to Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County, Florida

As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...

 with his brother Thomas to begin work. In addition to his salary, the federal government gave Jackson a large land grant in Hillsborough County.

Jackson’s work also took him throughout Florida and it was on an assignment in St. Augustine

St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...

 that he met and married Ellen Maher in 1847 with whom he bore four children. Several weeks later, Hillsborough County hired Jackson to survey and map Tampa which had been designated the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 in 1846. Jackson named the streets of Tampa after U.S. Presidents, military figures and two local individuals, William Ashley and himself. After completing his assignment, Jackson returned to surveying but in 1849 he and his wife decided to move to Tampa where he established a general store on the corner of Washington and Tampa Streets. Jackson also became involved in Tampa politics and activities.

Term as mayor

Jackson was elected mayor of Tampa on 3 February 1862 in which he served on 19 days, the shortest in Tampa history. In late April 1861, the Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 military commander at Fort Brooke

Fort Brooke

Fort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Convention Center currently stands at the site.-Fort Brooke as a military outpost:...

 had placed Tampa under martial law which essentially nullified the authority of the town’s government. On February 22, 1862, the Confederate Military Commander dismissed the mayor, city council and other employees. This event was a formality since both the military authorities and Hillsborough County had assumed the city’s activities the previous year. After his dismissal, Jackson returned to his general store and remained in Tampa for the remainder of the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. During the war, life in Tampa was incredibly harsh for the remaining residents who primarily consisted of old men, women and children. The Union naval bombardment of the city compelled some residents to leave and facilitated the rapid decline of the city until it resembled a ghost town.

Death

Jackson and his wife led a movement of residents to have a Catholic priest brought to Tampa and his children were the first to be baptized in the Catholic faith. Jackson died on 4 November 1887.

Sources

• Covington, Dr. James W. and Wavering, Debbie Lee, "The Mayors of Tampa: A Brief Administrative History", Tampa, FL: University of Tampa, 1987.
• Grismer, Karl H., Tampa: A History of the City and the Tampa Bay Region of Florida, St. Petersburg
  St. Petersburg, Florida
  St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
  
  Printing Company, FL, 1950.
• Robinson, Ernest L., History of Hillsborough County, Florida: Narrative and Biographical, The Record Company, St. Augustine, FL, 1928.
• Tampa Council Minutes, City of Tampa Archives, Tampa, FL
• January 1, 1857 – October 2, 1891 Microfilm Roll # 1

External links