To visit markers near Jackson, turn north onto Hwy. 177, on the Jackson side of the Tombigbee River. At the assisted living facility, take a right and follow the sings to County Road 15 to visit the Central Salt Works marker, which lies 5.3 miles south of Jackson. The natural salt springs supplied much of the state's salt during the Civil War, a staple made unobtainable by the Yankee naval blockade. (Also marked is the Upper Salt Works on Hwy. 69, 5 miles north of Jackson.) For another scenic detour through southern Clarke County, turn at the assisted living facility but follow it to County Road 2, which will stop at County Road 29. Turn north to visit the Gainestown marker, at the junction of County Road 29 and County Road 33. At the same junction, take a right to Barlow Bend and visit the French's Chapel marker, where the first church in what is now Clarke County was built in 1819. Or, stay on County Road 29 going north to see the restored 1919 two-room Gainestown Schoolhouse and the antebellum Wilson-Finlay House. Both are private residences.
There are five markers in town: The Clarke County War Memorial dedicated to county residents who died fighting for our country sits on the lawn of the Jackson City Hall. The City of Jackson marker is downtown on Commerce St. (Hwy. 177) Jackson, first called Pine Level and then named for President Andrew Jackson, was one of the earliest settlements in the county. Continuing north on College Avenue takes you to the site of The First District Agricultural College, which operated from 1896 - 1936. The President's home still stands at the NE corner of Clinton and College. Jackson's school mascot, the Aggie, reminds us of the town's early farming history. Heading up College Avenue, turn left at Mayton Drive to see the Kimbell House, an 1848 residence formerly occupied by Isham Kimbell who was a youngster, survived the infamous 1813 Creek War Kimbell-James Massacre (see tour #2). From Mayton, return to College Avenue going north to Merchant's Bank where the POW Camp marker is located. The camp, in operation during he last year of World War II, housed German Prisoners of War.
