| Summary: | Jackson Cemetery is located about four miles northwest of Florence. The cemetery is due east of the ruins of the Forks of Cypress, located on the Old Jackson Road, which stretches from North Florence to the Savannah Highway. Separating the ruins from the Cemetery is Dowdy Road. There is a 90’x 90’ cut stonewall that is four feet in height surrounding it.
Jackson History: At the age of 17, James Jackson came to America from Ballibay County in Monaghan, Ireland, in 1799. His sister Elenaora, and her husband Thomas Kirkman came along with Jackson. Jackson, along with his sister and her husband, settled in Nashville. While living in Nashville, Jackson met Sarah Moore McCullouch who was a widow from South Carolina. On December 28, 1810, James and Sally were married.
James Jackson, along with General John Coffee, future Supreme Court Justice John McKinley and other partners, established the Cypress Land Company in 1818. They realized that land companies were great investments. The first land sale for land in Florence was held in 1818. Lauderdale County was soon formed with Florence serving as county seat.
Jackson realized Florence had a great potential, so he decided to construct his plantation in the surrounding area. Four miles from Florence, at the junction of the Big and Little Cypress Creeks, Jackson constructed his mansion with 3,000 acres. In 1820, Jackson died and was laid to rest among relatives in Jackson Cemetery.
History of the Cemetery: Unfortunately, there is no exact evidence of the age of Jackson Cemetery. The oldest marked grave in the cemetery is that of Jane Hannah Anderson, infant daughter of Henry and Ellen Anderson, buried September 19, 1829. It is believed that during the early years of the cemetery there was no wall. Only when Master James Jackson decided to make it a family resting place was the wall constructed.
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