Jackson Smith
Jacksonville, Cherokee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A blacksmith by trade, Kentuckian Jackson Smith came to Texas in the 1830s and participated in the War for Independence. He later visited this area as a Republic of Texas scout. In the 1840s, he settled southwest of here in the Gum Creek community. Near there he platted a townsite he called Jacksonville. Smith served as a Confederate officer in the Civil War. In 1872, Jacksonville was moved to its present site along the new railroad.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A Kentucky blacksmith, Jackson Smith came to Texas in the 1830s and fought in its War for Independence before scouting for the Republic of Texas. Settling near Gum Creek in the 1840s, he platted the townsite he named Jacksonville; he later served as a Confederate officer, and in 1872 the town was relocated to meet the new railroad.
Why it matters
Smith's life traces the arc of frontier Texas itself—revolution, republic, and the railroads that reshaped where towns could survive.
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Nearby & related markers
David Greene Templeton
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David Greene Templeton, a North Carolina native, reached newly organized Cherokee County soon after 1846 and settled in the Gum Creek community that became Old Jacksonville. He grew into a prominent landowner and civic leader, was named in 1850 one of the original trustees of the Presbyterian college at Larissa, and served in the Confederate home guard during the Civil War. His descendants went on to play a prominent role in the early growth of Jacksonville.
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