The little town of Jacksonville, Texas, sprawls idly amongst lush rolling green hills, painting a picture-perfect image of quaint southern charm across the landscape. With a population of just under 15,000, it has a sparse suburban feel. It is close enough to larger cities like Tyler to have everything you could possibly want nearby, yet far enough away to feel like you are in your own little world. It's no surprise that it is one of the most desirable small towns to live in in all of Texas. The world simply feels like a smaller, cozier place from a Jacksonville porch. Time moves a little slower, the drawl is just a little deeper, and the fruit is just a little sweeter. Residents truly love this small town. In fact, many say they couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Its humble origin story is a Tale of Two Jacksons, with its beginnings dating back to the 1830s. At the time, this was Native American land, and skirmishes were frequent and furious. After one of the worst recorded Native American massacres in the area in which 18 settlers lost their lives, a Kentucky native and soldier named Jackson Smith was sent there to scout out the area, and he simply fell in love with it. Less than a decade later, he built a house and a blacksmith shop and began calling it home. Shortly after that, another Jackson—this one named Dr. William Jackson, built an office right next door. Both men loved the town and were devoted to its prosperity. It was the catalyst the town needed. Called Gum Creek at the time, it suddenly had an ever-expanding population of settlers. By 1850 the town was booming, and to honor the two gentlemen that had had such a profound impact on the town, its name was changed to Jacksonville.

Jacksonville, today, has changed a bit. It has even moved a bit, and we mean that literally. In 1872 the railroads came to the area but missed Jacksonville by two miles. Because they knew how vital the railroads were to their existence, the townspeople actually moved the entire town. Yes, everything was relocated so that the town would be on the railroad's route. As strange as that sounds, it's entirely true, and it is not the only town that has physically moved. There have been a few others as well: Hibbing, Minnesota did the same thing in 1919, in their case, moving a couple of miles to accommodate iron ore mining. Vidalia, Louisiana, moved to avoid flooding, and Valdez, Alaska, was moved because of earthquakes. 

But getting back to our town, it turned out to be a good move for Jacksonvillers for a couple of reasons. First, the railroads were an incredibly essential commodity at that time. Secondly, the new land was perfect for agriculture, and growing fruit soon became the town's leading source of income. It was a leader in peach production for decades, until a juicier, if not sweeter, fruit came along to dethrone that stone fruit. If you're a local, you probably already know that we are talking about tomatoes, and the ones from Jacksonville are hailed as some of the best in the world. In fact, in the 1950s, it became known as the Tomato Capital of the World. The annual Jacksonville Tomato Festival is a celebration unlike any other. If you are a local or simply within driving distance, it's an absolute must.

Speaking of attractions, Jacksonville has those, too, and some of them are quite unusual. If you've ever wanted to be drooled on by a big hairy guy on four legs, you can experience that at the Cherokee Trace Drive-Thru Safari. Jacksonville has a great one if you like museums: The Vanishing Texana Museum. This is a fantastic place to spend an afternoon if you love history, antiquities, and curiosities. Local artifacts on hand date back to 1830, but they also have an expansive display of other rare items that go back as far as 238 A.D., including a coin collection hailing from the Roman Empire.

For thrill-seekers and nature enthusiasts, you can go zip lining at Adrenalin Rush Zip Line Tours or go four-wheeling at River Run ATV Park. There is also a top-notch nature preserve, Neches River National Wildlife Refuge, which is a phenomenal place to go bird watching to see an impressive variety of waterfowl. Or, for a more sedate outing, you can check out Love's Lookout Park for a gorgeous view.

Foodies in Jacksonville have nothing to complain about either. Grab some amazing food at Sylvia Mae's Soul Food or try a burger at Legends Old Time Burger Café. No matter what you're craving, you'll find it here.

Another less appealing attraction here in Jacksonville: pests. It's an ongoing problem where pests seem to be perpetually attracted to homes. But no worries, at Tranquility Pest Control, we are experts at taking care of that. There's no pest problem we cannot handle, so just contact us for an estimate.