Jackson Madison County Bicentennial

Bicentennial Story Time at Casey Jones
2022-05-18 10:30, 2022-05-11 10:30, 2022-05-04 10:30, 2022-04-27 10:30, 2022-04-20 10:30, 2022-04-13 10:30, 2022-04-06 10:30, 2022-03-30 10:30 UTC and 2 more dates | Casey Jones Museum, 30 Casey Jones Lane, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
Ms. Jennifer Kilburn will have a preschool story time on a bicentennial topic each Wednesday. Sponsored by Jackson Madison-Co. Library & Old Country Store.

Brown's Church & Cotton Grove Communities Heritage Day
2022-05-14 10:00 - 15:00 | Browns Ruritan Community Center, 180 McLeary Road, Jackson, TN, 38305, United States
The Browns and Cotton Grove Communities will celebrate their Madison County Bicentennial Heritage Day on Saturday, May 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Browns Ruritan Community Center, formerly Browns School, at 180 McLeary Road in Jackson and at Madison County Fire Station 12 at 190 McLeary Road. Enjoy a hamburger, hot dog, or a cup of Browns’ famous stew at the fire station.
Memorabilia will be on display in the school, and visitors are welcome to share copies of their vintage photos and documents from these communities. Join a fun game of cornhole and enjoy music provided by Jackson Area Plectral Society of Jackson. Pamphlets will be available with the rich history of Brown’s Church and Cotton Grove and a list of historic sites.
The first settlement in Madison County was at Cotton Grove in 1819 with pioneers John Hargrove, Roderick McIver, Duncan McIver, Elijah Jones, John Brown, Thomas Brown, and William Woolfork. Doctors Robert Fenner and McKnight soon joined the community. In 1821, a Mr. Maddin grew the first cotton in the county.
Residents of Brown’s Church and Cotton Grove look forward to sharing their Bicentennial Heritage Day with family and friends. Contact Lee Tomlinson at 731-343-3489 if you have questions.

Medon Heritage Day
2022-05-14 10:00 - 14:00 | City Hall & Community Center, 25 College Street, Medon, TN, 38356, United States
Arts, Crafts and History Booths about the City of Medon. Food and Dessert Trucks. Fire Trucks on Display and Jumpers for the kids. Come out and join us for a fun day of celebrating our history.

History of Business in Jackson-Madison County
2022-05-07 12:00 | Jackson Madison County Library, 433 E Lafayette St, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
As part of the Bicentennial Celebration, we will be screening the 1952 short film “Jackson in 1952” on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 12:00 pm at the Jackson-Madison County Library. The film is believed to have been commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce 70 years ago to help sell the city to prospects. This is a genuine period piece from 70 years ago, which includes:

· Downtown Jackson, believed to be on a Saturday, with men in white shirts and ties and women in typical “Sunday dress” for a day of shopping.

· Jackson’s downtown banks. Harbert Alexander identifies many of the people who are leading citizens.

· Our native son and game show host Wink Martindale at the VFW swimming pool with a girlfriend and some of his buddies. Wink would have been 17 at the time.

· Bread products being made at a local bakery.

· Some of Jackson’s civic clubs

· A local taxicab company and a downtown hotel

· Brooks Shaw at his desk at Kelly Foods, where he was president

· A Little League baseball game on a Friday night, believed to be at Rothrock Stadium

· A number of downtown merchants

Come enjoy this snapshot of history with us!

History of Business in Jackson-Madison County
2022-05-07 12:00 | Jackson Madison County Library, 433 E Lafayette St, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
Harbert Alexander will be the speaker at the JMC Library – 12 noon.

More information soon!

Spring Creek Heritage Day
2022-05-07 11:00 - 17:00 | Woolfolk Barn, 131 Hallie Anderson Road, Jackson, TN, 38305, United States
A county fair setting with cake walks, lawn games, craft fair, dunk tanks, inflatables, hay rides, food trucks, and live entertainment with the Plectoral Society and Don Hays. All welcome.

First Friday Bicentennial Edition
2022-05-06 11:30 - 13:00 | First United Methodist Church, 200 S Church St, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
JACKSON, Tenn. – The Bicentennial Edition of First Friday Forum will continue downtown at First Methodist Church on Friday, May 6.
The bicentennial programming and event theme for May is small businesses. Sharon Younger, of Younger Associates, will speak on the past, present and future of small businesses in Jackson and Madison County.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with the business leaders who shaped the modern economic landscape of Jackson,” said Younger. “We’ve worked alongside the companies that doubled the retail base, exploded the real estate footprint and re-imagined the city. Jackson is home to some iconic brands and Younger Associates has created brand identities for an amazingly large number of them!”
First Friday will be held at First Methodist Church located at 200 South Church Street in downtown Jackson on Friday, May 6. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., lunch will be served starting at 11:45 a.m., and programming will begin at approximately 12:15 p.m.
As this is a catered event, advance tickets are required for attendance. The cut-off for purchase is 6 p.m. the Tuesday prior to the event. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Tickets are $12 per person and can be purchased using a debit or credit card at https://fffmay2022.pushpayevents.com/
Tickets can also be purchased by cash or check at the First Methodist Church business office during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday or 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Fridays).
First Friday is sponsored by Allison Insurance.
The Bicentennial edition of First Friday is held on the first Friday of every month through August 2022. Dan Morris and David Thomas, of Madison County Sports Hall of Fame, will be speaking about athletics, sports and leisure on June 3. A reservation link will be released on jacksonmadison200.com soon.
Younger will provide an update on Blue Oval City.
Additionally, the Bicentennial plans to recognize some of Madison County’s oldest small businesses.
About Sharon Younger
Sharon Younger is president and founder of Younger Associates, Inc., an economic research and strategic communications firm that provides services to private developers, site consultants, economic development organizations and transportation agencies.
Dr. Younger is a frequent speaker at national conferences for professional organizations. She is an economic development instructor for the Economic Development Institute, IEDC, University of Oklahoma, Auburn University, University of Tennessee, Louisiana State University and CETYS University in Mexico.
Before founding Younger Associates, Dr. Younger was an associate professor of market research and advertising at Union University. During her time at Union, she launched the Center for Business and Economic Services where she served as director. Prior to her work at the University, Dr. Younger worked in market research for a Fortune 100 company.
Recognized nationally as a leading researcher in the field of economic and community development, Dr. Younger and her firm have successfully completed regional and statewide research for clients in twenty-six states. Workforce development strategies led by Dr. Younger for Wyoming and Louisiana have been profiled in the national media and noted as the best in the nation for solving workforce shortages.
As a skilled facilitator, Dr. Younger conducts focus groups and leads strategic planning programs. She has expertise in guiding groups through developing successful plans with realistic goals and measurable benchmarks. Her planning work has a successful track record for gaining acceptance by multiple stakeholders and support from elected leaders.
Dr. Younger managed the Public Involvement Program for the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, the first statewide 25-year multi-modal plan in Tennessee. As Public Involvement Lead Consultant, she planned and implemented the statewide public and stakeholder strategy and environmental justice outreach. Additionally, Younger Associates was charged with the development of the final plan document.
Dr. Younger has worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to develop successful strategies for recruiting the plastics and automotive industries. Also for TVA, she conducted a potential freight movement study for the development of the Port of Cates Landing.
Her firm also worked with TVA to analyze the economic impact of the megasite program by analyzing the activity in five megasites and strategies for developing two additional megasites including the Memphis Regional Megasite. The firm conducts continuing economic impact analyses and benefit-cost analyses to determine incentive levels for projects and prospects.
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In a project funded by the U.S. Trade Development Agency, Dr. Younger worked with the Republic of Cameroon to develop a feasibility plan to attract World Bank and other international financing initiatives for the development of a deep-water port in the city of Limbe.
The staff at Younger Associates advises a number of economic development agencies and industrial development boards on strategic data-driven communications with location consultants and prospects; marketing and attraction programs; evaluation of incentives; and economic impact analyses.
Dr. Younger has developed target industry strategies for a wide range of cities, states, regions most recently including Bradenton/Sarasota, FL, The Shoals Region of AL, Ocala FL, Charlotte, NC, and Chattanooga, TN. Younger Associates’ research has played a key role in many site selection decisions across the United States, including automotive assembly plants, foreign investments and global technology companies such as Space X.
The firm completed a comprehensive analysis for the 10-county Thomas Jefferson Partnership region centered in Charlottesville, VA. The study encompassed six distinct components: a workforce analysis, existing business cluster analysis, emerging and growth industries analysis, technology assets inventory, strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats assessment, and an economic targeting strategy. This was the first study for an economic development agency that combined all these areas of expertise to develop a comprehensive development strategy for the region

East Jackson Historic Tour and Wellness Walk
2022-04-30 10:00 | Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 106 Glass Street, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
Join us on April 30 for our East Jackson Historic Tour and Wellness Walk!

ATTENDEES ARE ASKED TO BRING TWO CANS OF FOOD AS REGISTRATION FOR THE WALK, WHICH WILL BE DONATED TO RIFA.

The walk will begin at 10:00 am with opening remarks and before the walk, a prayer will be said.

During the we will stop at many historic places in East Jackson like the former Lincoln Elementary School, Lane College’s Administration Building, The Palm Garden, etc.

Historic Structures Tours at Casey Jones Village
2022-04-30 10:00 | Casey Jones Village, Casey Jones Ln, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
The Old Country Store invites you to tour it’s Historic Structures in celebration of the Jackson Madison County Bicentennial theme for April—Architecture and Open Houses!

Tickets are $12 per person and include a guided tour of the Casey Jones Home, the Village Chapel, the Providence House, and a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream in Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe!

Tickets are available for every Saturday in April and start every hour on the hour, with the first tour starting at 10am and the last tour starting at 2pm.

You must have a reservation and show your printed ticket or email receipt when you check in at the Casey Jones Museum at the start of your tour. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before your reserved tour time, so that your group can start promptly touring these amazing historic structures. Thank you!

Link to Purchase Tickets:
April 30th: https://www.caseyjones.com/store/event/historic-structures-tours-4/

Jackson Madison County Bicentennial Bicycle Awareness Ride
2022-04-29 17:30 | The Farmers Market, 91 New Market St, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
Join bike enthusiasts and those who come out for just a fun bike ride through historic downtown Jackson. The ride is to help with promoting bike lanes, cycling infrastructure, and making streets safe. All those interested are to meet at the Farmers Market downtown at 5:30 p.m., ride will begin at 6pm.

Oakfield Heritage Day
2022-04-24 13:00 - 16:00 | Pugh Bourne Park, 343 Oakfield Rd, Oakfield, TN, 38362, United States
Hear – The Master’s Call Quartet from Oakfield Baptist Church
Share – your old stories about Oakfield and hear everyone else’s
Meet – your classmates from Oakfield, East and Nova Schools
Bring – a card table and display your Oakfield pictures and other items for everyone to see and enjoy
Enjoy – hot dogs/hamburgers, desserts, and the playground and open spaces of our community park.

Historic Structures Tours at Casey Jones Village
2022-04-23 10:00 | Casey Jones Village, Casey Jones Ln, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
The Old Country Store invites you to tour it’s Historic Structures in celebration of the Jackson Madison County Bicentennial theme for April—Architecture and Open Houses!

Tickets are $12 per person and include a guided tour of the Casey Jones Home, the Village Chapel, the Providence House, and a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream in Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe!

Tickets are available for every Saturday in April and start every hour on the hour, with the first tour starting at 10am and the last tour starting at 2pm.

You must have a reservation and show your printed ticket or email receipt when you check in at the Casey Jones Museum at the start of your tour. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before your reserved tour time, so that your group can start promptly touring these amazing historic structures. Thank you!

Link to Purchase Tickets:
April 23rd: https://www.caseyjones.com/store/event/historic-structures-tours-3/

Earth Day Festival
2022-04-23 | Jackson Fairgrounds Park, 800 S Highland Ave, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
Earth Day 2022 by Keep Jackson Beautiful and City of Jackson. Come out and join in the day’s activities: Earth Day 5K, Scavenger Hunt, Free Tree Giveaway, Food Trucks, Face Painting, Obstacle Course, JFD Gaming Truck, Balloon Animals and more.

Davy Crockett - His Time in Jackson
2022-04-16 12:00 | Jackson Madison County Library, 433 E Lafayette St, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
In “The Accidental Fame and Lack of Fortune of West Tennessee’s David Crockett,” Scott Williams uncovers what propelled Crockett’s fascinating journey to international fame, while also examining the birth of Tennessee during one of the most fascinating periods in American history.

Williams is the president and CEO of Discovery Park of America in Union City, Tenn. He earned his degree in journalism from the University of Memphis, then held positions at advertising agencies and other Memphis organizations including Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. Before returning home to West Tennessee, he served as president and COO of the Newseum in Washington, D.C. His wife, Michelle, is a portrait artist and an art history instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, and they have two daughters, Alexandra and Olivia.

Scott is also the author of An Odd Book, How the First Modern Pop Culture Reporter Conquered New York and The Forgotten Adventures of Richard Halliburton: A High-Flying Life from Tennessee to Timbuktu.

Historic Structures Tours at Casey Jones Village
2022-04-16 10:00 | Casey Jones Village, Casey Jones Ln, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
The Old Country Store invites you to tour it’s Historic Structures in celebration of the Jackson Madison County Bicentennial theme for April—Architecture and Open Houses! Tickets are $12 per person and include a guided tour of the Casey Jones Home, the Village Chapel, the Providence House, and a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream in Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe! Tickets are available for every Saturday in April and start every hour on the hour, with the first tour starting at 10am and the last tour starting at 2pm. You must have a reservation and show your printed ticket or email receipt when you check in at the Casey Jones Museum at the start of your tour. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before your reserved tour time, so that your group can start promptly touring these amazing historic structures. Thank you!
Link to Purchase Tickets: April 16th: https://www.caseyjones.com/store/event/historic-structures-tours-2/

"Bicentennial 200 Tree Planting" during National Arbor Month
2022-04-08 15:00 | Middle Fork Bottoms Recreational Area, 111 Sanders Bluff Road, Three-Way, TN, 38343, United States
The Jackson-Madison County Bicentennial Commission is partnering with the Tennessee Forestry Department and the West Tn River Basin Authority to have the “Bicentennial 200 Tree Plantng” in the new Middlefork Bottoms Park in Madison County. The 200 trees will be Ball Cypress trees that are a natural choice for the wet regions of the park.

Where It All Began - A Look Back at the Early History of Jackson
2022-04-02 10:00 - 16:00 | Downtown Jackson, 400 South Highland Avenue, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Downtown History Scavenger Hunt hosted by the Jackson Madison County Library. Pick up a map at the downtown library front desk. The scavenger hunt includes 12 locations and anyone who completes the hunt will receive a free bicentennial t-shirt.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Carnegie Legends exhibit will be free to the public. The Carnegie originally opened in 1903 as the first public library. Now, the building is devoted to telling stories in a different way. On the lower floor, a 70 seat theater is the perfect, intimate venue for songwriter nights, and the first floor is devoted to the Legends Museum.

10 a.m to 10:45 a.m.
Walking Tour of downtown by historian Robert Briley that will start and end at the Courthouse.

Historic buildings open downtown including:

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
LD2 Market Shoppes at 215 N. Church, formerly the Delaney’s building

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Ned at 314 E Main St, formerly City Hall. In addition to guided tours, the Ned is hosting two art exhibits. Josie Goulding will have an exhibit in our upstairs gallery and the West Tennessee Artisan Trail will have an exhibit in the main gallery, downstairs.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Listen to actors portraying some of our city’s most influential businessmen and politicians from 1847-1940, and see the varying architecture of the homes (all on the Historic Register) as you walk through the neighborhood of East Main Street in Jackson. Tours consisting of small groups will leave from the East Main Street Park, near the railroad tracks, every 15-30 minutes beginning at 11 am. Presented by the POEMS Historic Preservation Committee.

2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Madison County has been home to many talented Black musicians. Come and hear the fascinating stories and view a mini-series by Mr. Howard Rambsy of all these notable musicians with connections to Jackson with national fame at the Carnegie 305 E College St.

All events are free and open to the public.

Andrew Jackson Marathon, 50th Anniversary
2022-04-02 07:00 - 13:30 | West Tennessee Farmers Market, 91 New Market St, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
The Marathon began in 1972 as a celebration of the city’s sesquicentennial anniversary and has been an annual event ever since. This year, we not only celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Andrew Jackson Marathon but also the 200th birthday of Jackson and Madison County! History will be made on Saturday, April 2, 2022, at 7am!
The race offers two distances, marathon (26.2 miles) – which is a Boston Marathon Qualifier, and half marathon (13.1 miles). The course starts downtown at the Farmer’s Market and takes runners through downtown, midtown beside the University of Memphis Lambuth campus arboretum, around the medical center to north Jackson and back downtown to the Farmer’s Market. Participants include runners from not only our area and Tennessee, but from across the United States as well as other countries.
Success of this event is reliant on community support as well as volunteer support – schools, universities, businesses, churches, social groups and more. Over 150 volunteers are needed to help on race day, Saturday, April 2, 2022. Volunteer information can be found at www.runajm.com. Spectators are welcome to set up along the course to cheer on the hundreds of runners that pass through our city.
The race takes place Saturday, April 2, 2022, 7am – 1:30pm from West Tennessee Farmer’s Market downtown Jackson. Registration closes at 11:59pm on March 29, 2022. There will be no race day registration.
All proceeds from the race benefit the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

Race details and registration can be found at: https://www.runajm.com
For more information: Danny Crossett, RunAJM Jackson Andrew Jackson Marathon Race Director, danny@crossett.com
The Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, www.carlperkinscenter.org

First Friday Bicentennial Edition
2022-04-01 11:30 - 13:00 | First United Methodist Church, 200 S Church St, Jackson, TN, 38301, United States
JACKSON, Tenn. – The Bicentennial Edition of First Friday Forum will continue downtown at First Methodist Church on Friday, April 1.
The bicentennial programming and event theme for April is architecture. Former Dean of Arts and Communications at Lambuth University, Dr. Larry Ray will speak on the architecture of buildings in Jackson and Madison County.
First Friday will be held at First Methodist Church located at 200 South Church Street in downtown Jackson on Friday, February 4. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., lunch will be served starting at 11:45 a.m., and programming will start at approximately 12:15 p.m.
As this is a catered event, advance tickets are required for attendance. The cut-off for purchase is 6 p.m. the Tuesday prior to the event. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Tickets are $12 per person and can be purchased using a debit or credit card at https://fffapr2022.pushpayevents.com/
Tickets can also be purchased by cash or check at the First Methodist business office during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday or 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Fridays).
First Friday is sponsored by TLM Associates, Inc.
The Bicentennial edition of First Friday is held on the first Friday of every month through August 2022. Sharon Younger of Younger Associates will be speaking about small business on May 6. A reservation link will be released on jacksonmadison200.com soon.

About Dr. Larry Ray
Dr. Larry Ray is a Memphis, Tennessee native. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts (Art/English) teacher certification from Lambuth University in 1964. He then continued his education at the University of Mississippi by receiving his master’s degree of Arts (art history/studio/art education) in 1966. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (interdisciplinary degree: history of Interior design, decorative arts, and textiles) in 1988.
After graduating with his master’s degree, Dr. Ray began to work at Lambuth University as a Professor of Art and Interior Design. During his career at Lambuth University, he was the chairman of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and Visual Art, 1984- 2010. He later became the Dean of the School of Arts and communication, 1993- 2010.
He has also received many special honors for his work and dedication. In the fall of 2007, the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation honored Dr. Ray with the establishment of the Dr. Lawrence Allen Ray Endowment for the Arts. In July of 2008, Dr. Ray was named a Lifetime Member of the Board of the Jackson Arts Council. In 2008, he was named curator of the Three States of Tennessee Exhibit and author of the Exhibition Catalog. In 2017, he received the National DAR Community Service Award. In 2018, he received the Kakky Tanner Award from the Jackson Arts Council for leadership and service to the arts.
On April 17, 2010, the combined mayors of Madison County and the City of Jackson issued a proclamation that April 17, 2010, will be Dr. Lawrence Allen Ray Day in Madison County and the city of Jackson.

Breakfast with the Mayor: Kids Q&A
2022-03-26 09:00 - 10:30 | Delta Room, 58 Casey Jones Lane, Jackson, TN, 38305, United States
The Old Country Store invites you to Breakfast with the Mayor: Kids Q&A. On Saturday, March 26th from 9-10:30am, Mayor Scott Conger will give a brief explanation of our local government in the Delta Room and then open the floor for Guests to ask questions. The breakfast will be $5 per person and includes a special breakfast buffet and drink.

Heritage Day for Three Way Community
2022-03-26 | Three Way City Hall, 190 Three Way Lane, Three Way, TN, 38343, United States
In addition to celebrating the 200th birthdays of the City of Jackson and Madison County, organizers in individual communities are planning “Heritage Days” to commemorate their history.
The first Heritage Days were held in the fall and the third Heritage Day will take place in Three Way on Saturday, March 26 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Pine Hill Park, Three Way City Hall and Madison County Fire Station No. 6.
Opening Ceremony will be at 12:15 p.m. at Pine Hill Park. Music will be played from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at City Hall and the park. Historian Robert Briley will make a presentation on the history of Jackson, Madison County and Three Way at City Hall at 1:30 p.m. This is a free event and food will be served starting at 12 p.m. for as long as supplies last. Organizers will serve hot dogs, chips, drinks, cookies and ice cream. Children will also enjoy activities on the playground.
This is a family friendly event to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Jackson and Madison County. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair to the festivities.
Pine Hill Park and Three Way City Hall are located at 190 Three Way Lane, Three Way, TN 38343. Madison Co. Fire Station No. 6 is located adjacent to the park and city hall.
