December 2025: Jackson from Thomas Hill, 1888

Photo: Jackson viewed from Thomas Hill in 1888. From left to right: the 1874 Frame School, the Norwegian Lutheran Church at Brown and Sherman (southwest corner), the first courthouse, the Presbyterian Church (first building), and the Methodist Church.

This sweeping view of Jackson, taken in 1888 from Thomas Hill, captures the town in a moment of early growth and developing identity. The landscape shows a community beginning to organize itself around schools, churches, and civic buildings, with open prairie still defining the edges of town.

Prominent landmarks can be seen across the horizon: the 1874 Frame School, which served as an early center for education; the Norwegian Lutheran Church; the Presbyterian Church; the Methodist Church; and Jackson’s early courthouse building. These structures anchored community life and reflected the diverse backgrounds of the people settling in the area.

Unpaved paths wind through the scene, connecting clusters of homes and businesses — a reminder that while Jackson was still small, it was steadily moving toward the future.

Sources

• Image and notes from the Marion Wallace Collection, Fort Belmont

• Local historical references from Jackson County archives