John Jackson (mayor)

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John James Jackson II (June 1809 – November 4, 1887) was the 9th mayor of Tampa, Florida. He was born in Ballybay, Ireland, and moved to the United States with his brother in 1841. They went to New Orleans, where John worked as an Assistant City Engineer for two years. In 1843, the federal government hired him to survey a large land grant in what is now Palmetto, Florida, and he moved to Hillsborough County with his brother Thomas. The government also gave him a large land grant. While working around Florida, he met Ellen Maher in St. Augustine, and they married in 1847 and had four children.

Hillsborough County later hired him to survey and map Tampa, which had become the county seat in 1846. He named Tampa’s streets after U.S. presidents, military figures, and two locals, William Ashley and himself. After finishing the survey, he returned to surveying, and in 1849 he and his wife moved to Tampa, where he opened a general store on the corner of Washington and Tampa Streets. He also became involved in local politics.

Jackson was elected mayor on February 3, 1862, serving 19 days—the shortest mayoral term in Tampa’s history. In late April 1861, the Confederate commander at Fort Brooke placed Tampa under martial law, which effectively nullified the town’s government. On February 22, 1862, the Confederate commander dismissed the mayor, the city council, and other employees. This dismissal was largely a formality since the military and county authorities had run the city the previous year. After leaving office, Jackson returned to his general store and stayed in Tampa for the rest of the Civil War. He died on November 4, 1887.