The Jackson County courthouse on March 14, 2015
Jackson County was created in 1853 from land which had been part of La Crosse County. Or perhaps it was Crawford County – the sources vary. The new county was named after President Andrew Jackson, so it is one of Wisconsin’s “presidential counties.” The city of Black River Falls is the county seat. In addition to being the county seat, Black River Falls is also the location of the administrative center of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Native Americans.
The Jackson County courthouse is located at 307 Main Street (Highway 54) in Black River Falls. We visited on the afternoon of Saturday March 14, 2015. The main part of the courthouse was built in 1931, or at least that’s the date on the cornerstone. It’s a very striking building – not fancy but distinctive with the yellow stone. The Jackson County sheriff’s department is located in a newer building that is attached to the courthouse.
I don’t really have any stories to share about Jackson County. I really have never spent much time here, though I do drive through it on my way to the northwestern part of the state. The one connection I have to Black River Falls is that the Sand Creek Brewing Company is located here. We would have stopped in after seeing the courthouse, but the brewery is closed on Saturdays during the colder weather.