Exhibit features Iowa Olympian John E. JACKSON
JACKSON, SCHNEIDER
Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 3/23/2011 at 21:03:13
"The Fairfield Ledger"
Friday, March 18, 2011
Front Page and Page 5Exhibit features Iowa Olympian John E. JACKSON
By Andy Hallman
Golden Triangle News ServiceAn exhibit of the first Iowan to win an Olympic gold medal is on display at the Washington Free Public Library. John E. JACKSON of Washington, and later of Fairfield, was on the American team that won gold in the military rifle competition at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden.
At that very same Olympics, JACKSON became the first Iowan to win a bronze medal as well, capturing third place in the 600-meter free rifle event.
JACKSON is the father of John C. JACKSON of Fairfield, who donated $175,000 to Washington's bandstand.
JACKSON was born in 1885 and grew up in Lincoln, Ill. When he was 13 years old, he and his family moved to Washington County, where JACKSON would farm for the next 30 years.
In 1910, JACKSON married Ellie May SCHNEIDER, with whom he had two sons, John C. JACKSON born in 1914 and Harold B. JACKSON. JACKSON was a member of the Iowa National Guard, and trained under future U.S. Senator Smith Wildman Brookhart. Brookhart sent a letter to JACKSON and the Olympians giving them advice on how to shoot straight, a letter that is part of the library exhibit.
When JACKSON competed in the 1912 Olympics, he was the first person from Iowa to do so. His son John C. was not yet born. However, John C. heard many stories of that trip when he was growing up. A couple of very famous people competed at the Olympics in Sweden that year. American Jim Thorpe won the gold medal in both the Pentathlon and Decathlon, the two most demanding track and field events. JACKSON told his sons that he had the privilege of eating with Thorpe on the boat ride to Sweden.
The display case at the library includes two postcards from the 1912 Olympics, one of which is a drawing of the T.S.S. Finland, the boat JACKSON, Thorpe and the other Americans traveled on. The other post card is of the Stockholm Olympic Stadium.
George S. Patton also competed in the 1912 Olympics, where he finished fifth in the pentathlon. He later achieved fame, not as an athlete, but as a general in the World War II (sic).
Apart from JACKSON's team gold medal in the military rifle competition and his individual bronze in the 600-meter free rifle event, he also placed 33rd in the 300-meter military rifle competition. JACKSON's efforts propelled the United States to finish second in the total medal count behind Sweden - 63 to 65. However, the United States won the most gold medals at 25. The U.S. also earned 19 silvers and 19 bronzes.
After the Olympics, JACKSON competed in a marksmanship tournament known as the Wimbledon Cup in 1915. He set a new record in long-range shooting during the matches, and was given a lifetime membership to the National Rifle Association, which sponsored the event.
Despite his tremendous success as a sharpshooter, JACKSON all but gave up the sport after the Wimbledon Cup. John C. said he rarely saw his father fire his rifle, except when a visitor asked him for a demonstration. He said his father did not spend much time teaching him or his brother to shoot. In fact, John C. said he never once fired the gun that is now on display at the library.
Many of JACKSON's shooting medals are on display at the library. Unfortunately, many of them are charred owing to a fire at the JACKSON's Washington County farm home in the late 1910s. John C. said he was 4 or 5 when it happened, and said he has vague memories of it.
"I was just a little squirt at the time," said John C. "We were only able to save a few things from the house."
The fire consumed their house, and they had to live in a garage for a while until they could build a new house on the property. JACKSON's gold medal is on display, but the heat from the fire melted a portion of it so it is not wholly intact. Beside the medal is an enlarged picture of what the medal looked like before the fire.
The exhibit features many photographs of JACKSON with fellow riflemen in the National Guard and his Olympic teammates. JACKSON and a few others are featured on the cover of a magazine titled "Military Rifle Championship of the World."
JACKSON entered business in Fairfield in 1930 when he became a partner in the Jackson-Catlett Mill at Fourth and Lowe streets. He and his family moved to Fairfield in 1935, and he served three terms on the Fairfield City Council.
John C. eventually joined the business, which continued as FairField Feed Company, and JACKSON continued to assist his son with the business until his death in 1971 at the age of 88.
When JACKSON died, John C. inherited his belongings. He remembers his father as "ambitious" and "a very goodbusinessman." (sic)
John C. gave much of the Olympic and National Guard memorabilia to the Washington County Historical Society, which then displayed it at Conger House in the "military room". Since the new library opened in October 2009, the historical society has been able to use its glass display case a total of four times.
Another item on display is the laurel wreath Swedish King Gustav presented to Jackson. A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves that was worn in ancient Greece. The victor in a competition wore a laurel wreath on his head. When the modern Olympics began in 1896, the Greek tradition was revived.
Historical society board members Mike Kramme, Terry O'Neill and Mary Levy created the display at the library. One of the battles the historical society faces with JACKSON's papers or any other kind of paper is how to preserve them.
"We worry about it, but we can't do much," said Levy.
Kramme remarked, "Paper has acids in it, and it deteriorates over time. We do what we can. We put it in acid-free folders. Sometimes putting it in plastic is not the best, especially if it's sealed, because you may seal moisture within it."
"The plastic gives off its own chemicals, too," said Levy.
Levy said the historical society keeps its artifacts out of direct sunlight to prevent discoloration.
"We have light-blocking shades at the [Conger House] museum," she said. "If you drive by, you'll see the shades are drawn all the time. I've even had children ask me if it's haunted because they don't see anyone living there."
Levy commented that the sunlight, moisture and high temperatures are the three things that damage artifacts, and the historical society shields its valuables from each of them. Conger House has a new air condition (sic) to protect its items from the summer heat.
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In the photo below, John E. JACKSON, a Fairfield businessman for many years, was the first Iowan to win an Olympic gold medal. Memorabilia, including the medal, is on display at the Washington Free Public Library in Washington, Iowa.
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Other photos from the story:
John E. and John C. JACKSON with Floyd Speer in front of their feed company
http://iagenweb.org/jefferson/General_Interest/2011/Jacksons.jpgJohn E. JACKSON's medals
http://iagenweb.org/jefferson/General_Interest/2011/Medals.jpgJohn E. JACKSON's Olympic Gold Medal
http://iagenweb.org/jefferson/General_Interest/2011/1912Medal.jpg*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.
Jefferson Documents maintained by Joey Stark.
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