Jacksboro, Texas

Jacksboro is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Jack County. Downtown Jacksboro has two major highways that pass through; U.S. Highway 281, and U.S. Highway 380. On the east side of Jacksboro lies Lake Jacksboro, which consists of a natural lake and a man-made lake, separated by a dam. The 2020 census said that Jacksboro had 4,184 people living in it.

 History 

 19th Century 
Jacksboro was settled in 1850 by settlers that were attracted by land offers made by the Texas Emigration & Land Office. Jacksboro was originally called Mesquiteville. The town began around Lost Creek, a stream near downtown Jacksboro that emptied into Lake Jacksboro. Jacksboro became the county seat of Jack County in 1859, and was renamed to Jacksboro, in honor of William and Patrick Jack, who fought in the Texas Revolution.

Jacksboro was one of the only towns to vote against leaving the United States and joining the Confederacy. Native American raids continued until 1870, after Fort Richardson was built to protect Jacksboro.

Jacksboro got national attention in 1871 when the Kiowa chiefs Satana and Big Tree were tried in the Jack County courthouse, the first time any Native American was tried under the United States law.

 20th & 21st Century 
Jacksboro may have formed the first 4-H club, that was claimed to be formed in the 1907.

On March 21, 2022, an EF3 tornado passed through Jacksboro, causing damage to approximately 80 homes or more and damaging the Elementary and High schools.

References

Category:Cities in Texas
Category:County seats in Texas