history
Founded in 1816 and named after future president Andrew Jackson, Jackson County is rich in Appalachian heritage and proud industrial roots. Nestled in the rolling hills of southeastern Ohio, the county was originally shaped by salt production—thanks to its natural salt licks—and later by coal mining, iron furnaces, and manufacturing.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Jackson County thrived as a hub of hardworking communities, built by immigrants from Wales, Germany, and Eastern Europe. Their influence can still be felt in the culture, traditions, and architecture of towns like Jackson and Wellston.
Today, Jackson County honors its past while looking forward—celebrating its natural beauty, deep sense of community, and ongoing commitment to growth and revitalization. Whether you're exploring local history or enjoying a modern festival, you'll find a story worth discovering here.Ohio Historical Markers
Jackson County is home to 11 Ohio Historical Markers. The program is administered by the Ohio History Connection. Since 1957, the program has placed more than 1,700 markers that share our state’s history. Partnering with community sponsors, they help tell the unique stories of the people, places, things, or events that helped shape individual communities as well as Ohio and the nation.
Buckeye Furnace
123 Buckeye Park Road
Wellston
One of 69 charcoal iron furnaces in the famous Hanging Rock Iron Region.
The Kanawha Trail
Near 187 Main Street
Jackson
Plunging herds of buffalo seeking salt licks and grazing lands wore trails through the Ohio Country when it was an Indian no-man’s land.
John Wesley Powell/Morgan’s Raid
226 East Main Street
Jackson
Scientist and explorer of the American West, John Wesley Powell moved from New York to Jackson with his family in 1838 and lived here until 1846.
The Scioto Salt Licks
& Salt Trail
Main Street
Jackson
The Scioto Salts Licks, located in and around Jackson, is an area where naturally occurring salt water, known as brine, flowed to the surface as a salt-water spring.
James Cemetery/
Major John James
East Broadway Street
Jackson
Major John James (1772-1854) established James Cemetery in 1828 on and around a Native American mound that is the only significant ancient mound remaining in the city of Jackson.
Commerical Apple Orchards of
Jackson County
Main Street
Jackson
The Jackson Chamber of Commerce conceived the Jackson County Apple Festival in the spring of 1937 and the first one was held that year, from October 6-9.
McKinley Park
Across from 11 Columbia Street
Jackson
William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States. Following McKinley’s assassination in 1901, the Village of Jackson dedicated this triangle of land as a park in his honor.
53rd OVI Regiment/
Camp Diamond
Veterans Park next to 275 Portsmouth Street
Jackson
The 53rd Ohio Volunteer Regiment was mustered into service at Camp Diamond, north of Jackson, during the first year of the Civil War.
Old Welsh Congregational Church
412 East Main Street
Oak Hill
In 1972 a group of Welsh-Americans chartered the Welsh-American Heritage Museum to preserve Welsh history and culture, and to preserve the Welsh Congregational Church.
Evans Cemetery/
1818 Welsh Pioneers
Moriah Road in Madison Township
Oak Hill
In August 1818, a group of six interrelated Welsh families, led by John Jones (Tirbach) landed in Gallipolis.
Moriah Church
The “Mother of Welsh Churches”
2236 Moriah Road
Oak Hill
Moriah Calvinistic Methodist Church was organized on November 23, 1835, in the home of Daniel Edwards, Brynele.
Discover the Rich Welsh History of Jackson County
Welsh Museum
412 East Main Street
Oak Hill
(740) 245-7186
website
Housed in the beautiful old Welsh Congregational Church in the village of Oak Hill, Ohio, the Welsh-American Heritage Museum contains many items that came with the early immigrants to the area from Cardiganshire, Wales from 1818 to 1860’s.
Welsh Scenic Byway
Jackson & Gallia Counties
The Welsh Scenic Byway runs for 64 miles in Jackson and Gallia Counties as part of Ohio’s Scenic Byway’s Program. The imprint left by the Welsh immigration of the 1800’s is evident in the many preserved Welsh chapels, cemeteries, the Welsh-American Heritage Museum, and the Madog Center for Welsh Studies at the University of Rio Grande.
Madog Center for Welsh Studies
University of Rio Grande
Rio Grande
(800) 282-7201
website
Located in the midst of one of the largest Welsh-American settlements in North America, the Madog Center for Welsh Studies has established a Resource Center and Library. The activities and programs of the Madog Center help to support the preservation of the Welsh language and culture, the arts, academics, the Welsh-American connection, and promotes local Welsh-American activities.
Historical Sites of Interest
BERLIN HEIGHTS – Site of Civil War Battle
BERLIN CROSSROADS – Underground Railroad
OH 327, Wellston
This small area just outside of Wellston is rich with history. Berlin Crossroads was an important point in the Underground Railroad and was the location where several freed slaves settled including President Thomas Jefferson’s former slave, Thomas Woodson.
Berlin Heights was the location of a civil war battle between General John Hunt Morgan and Union Army Colonel Benjamin Runkle. See links above for more information.
SALT LICK VILLAGE
81 East Broadway Street, Jackson
The village’s historic structures include the McCoy Cabin, a recreated salt boiling furnace. the historic Scioto Township House and a small blacksmith shop. The McCoy Cabin is an original 1858 Vintage log cabin disassembled at its original location in Jackson County and reassembled in Salt Lick Village.
Learn More
LILLIAN JONES MUSEUM
75 Broadway Street
Jackson
Explore the rich history of Jackson, Ohio, and the surrounding area in an active historical, cultural, and educational museum.
Situated on the edge of the historic section of downtown, the museum is housed in the former home of its benefactor and namesake Miss Lillian E. Jones.
Learn more from Museum Director, Ashley Aldrich’s monthly Telegram News articles.
“Jackson County's history dates back before the founding of our nation. From coal to salt, Welsh immigrants, and the civil war the region has seen great change over the last 250 years. Discover the rich heritage of Jackson County.”
Emily Davis