LAKE HISTORY
In 1849-1850, Abner and Margaret Jackson, originally from Virginia, owned the property which included the lake and land extending to the Brazos River. In the early 1850’s, the Jacksons built a large colonial style house, storehouse, carriage house, blacksmith shop, cotton gin, and sugar mill along the southeastern shore of the lake as part of what he officially named the Lake Jackson Plantation.(This lake is an oxbow lake formed from a cut-off meander of the Brazos River) Although the entire plantation was very large, this main compound was located within the area known years later as the Lake Jackson Park. (The Dow Park). During the civil war, Abner and Margaret passed away and the property was handed down to his five children, 4 sons and a daughter. Two sons died in the war while one,George, survived and returned to the plantation which had been maintained and enlarged during the war by his brother John. During an argument over property ownership, George shot and killed John. George soon died of TB. The only Jackson member left, the daughter, Arseneth, married a wealthy plantation owner named Groce and moved to Waller County. In 1873, Arseneth and the estate of her brother George, sold the plantation. In the following years, the plantation was divided and maintained by tenant farmers and others for absentee landlords. In Sept. 1900, the main compound was severely damaged by the same hurricane that destroyed Galveston.
On Aug. 23, 1941, Dr. A.P. Buetel purchased a large portion of the plantation including the lake and surrounding land. Dow established a park on the lake in 1942 and later in 1945, the land surrounding the lake was surveyed and and divided into 50 lots. The area was officially designated as Lake Jackson Farms Subdivision. Lots were sold mainly to Dow employees. Clearence and preparation of the lots for homes started in 1947. The first homes were built shortly thereafter.
Later in history, the Lake Jackson Farms property owners (with land fronting on the lake) formed the Lake Jackson Association, incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas as a no capitol stock, non-profit corporation.