James J. Keeley Park

James J. Keeley Park. A Premium Entertainment Venue in Jackson History. , A cherished public gathering space with a long, illustrious past and a bright future , Original portions of the Jackson County Fairgrounds were purchased by the Jackson County Agricultural Society (JCAS) in 1856 from the widow of Dr. Oliver Russ (1795-1846), Jackson's first resident physician. The JCAS improved the property and held its annual county fair here for many decades. A large oval racetrack was constructed in 1869 with harness racing lasting until 2007 (see below panoramic image)., For a time in the late 1800s, the park grounds were used by the Michigan State Fair, which provided too much competition for the JCAS. After being discontinued for several years, the local county fair returned in 1914, this time with a "modern" midway. A sampling of other attractions that appeared during this period include Barnum and Bailey's Circus, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, the famous Gettysburg "Cyclorama," and two decades of Minor League Baseball. Thrill seekers found additional excitement in a staged head-on collision of steam locomotives (1905), motorcycle races (1912) and an airplane stunt show (1926)., After world war two, the County Board of Commissioners took over direct administration of Keeley Park. Herman Gumper, (1921-2015) was selected as Fair Manager and from 1960-1993 he did much to update and beautify the park. He also arranged for hundreds of top level entertainers to perform here, including Johnny Cash, Bob Hope, Willie Nelson, Barbara Mandrell, Randy Travis, and many more. Jackson's past, present and future all intersect at Keeley Park., James J. Keeley (1856-1928) was a distinguished Jackson businessman and councilman at the turn of the 20th century. Thanks to his tireless efforts to improve the fairgrounds, city officials renamed the park in his honor in 1909.