Jacksboro, Texas

Jacksboro is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Jack County. Downtown Jacksboro has two major highways that pass through; U.S. Highway 281, and U.S. Highway 380. On the east side of Jacksboro lies Lake Jacksboro, which consists of a natural lake and a man-made lake, separated by a dam. The 2020 census said that Jacksboro had 4,184 people living in it.

Town
Location of Jacksboro, Texas
Coordinates: 33°13′24″N 98°9′39″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Jack
Area
• Total	8.09 sq mi (20.95 km2)
• Land	7.23 sq mi (18.72 km2)
• Water	0.86 sq mi (2.23 km2)
Elevation	1,083 ft (330 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,184
• Density	578.94/sq mi (223.53/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76458
FIPS code	48-37168
GNIS feature ID	1338568
Website	www.cityofjacksboro.com

19th Century

Jacksboro was settled in 1850 by settlers that were attracted by land offers made by the Texas Emigration & Land Office. Jacksboro was originally called Mesquiteville. The town began around Lost Creek, a stream near downtown Jacksboro that emptied into Lake Jacksboro. Jacksboro became the county seat of Jack County in 1859, and was renamed to Jacksboro, in honor of William and Patrick Jack, who fought in the Texas Revolution.

Jacksboro was one of the only towns to vote against leaving the United States and joining the Confederacy. Native American raids continued until 1870, after Fort Richardson was built to protect Jacksboro.

Jacksboro got national attention in 1871 when the Kiowa chiefs Satana and Big Tree were tried in the Jack County courthouse, the first time any Native American was tried under the United States law.

20th & 21st Century

Jacksboro may have formed the first Texas state 4H club, that was claimed to be formed in the 1910's.

On March 24, 2023, an EF3 tornado passed through Jacksboro, causing damage to estimately 80 homes or more and damaging the Elementary and High schools.