The City of Winder purchased the property from the Hal Jackson Family in 2015, and a park was established in his name in 2016. The park property is located at 100 East Athens Street and extends from East Athens Street along Park Avenue to East Candler Street. In the early days, a Calaboose (jail) was located on this property as well as a blacksmith shop. In later years, a building at the corner of East Athens Street and Park Avenue housed the Chatterbox Restaurant and a beauty shop. Next door facing East Athens Street, a building was used as an appliance store, local Department of Family and Children Services office, and other commercial enterprises throughout the years. A portion of the lot was also used by the Winder Lumber Company to store brick and clay products.
Hal Jackson was a native of Winder, Georgia born on October 1, 1910 to J. Roy and Emma Jackson. Other than the time he served in the Army Air Force during World War II, Winder was his home He married Katherine Adair on December 25, 1943, and they had two children: Becky and David.
In an article from The Winder News dated June 13, 1973 and written by Colonel Harry O. Smith, he described young Hal's duties at the Winder Lumber Company: "When just a little fellow, Hal started going to work with his father, J. Roy Jackson, who was then the superintendent of the lumber company. Hal was actually put on the payroll when he was only 15 years old -- for $1.50 a week. At that time in 1925 most of the lumber and building supplies were hauled by mule and wagon, although the company did own two Jumbo Trucks."
Hal ended up owning The Winder Lumber Company and as a small business owner, he was committed to his community and supported it in many ways. When he was a young boy, he was a member of the first Boy Scout Troop in Winder. He was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church serving as a Deacon for over 20 years. Other civic involvements included the Kiwanis Club, Winder R & AM Lodge No. 333, the Yaarab Temple Shrine, Winder-Barrow Chamber of Commerce, Barrow County Historical Society, Touchdown Club, Associate Member of Oconee River Soil and Water Conservation District, Elks Club, member and director of Building Material Merchants of Georgia, Georgia Concrete Products Association, and honorary member of the University of Georgia Agriculture Alumni Association. Donations were quietly made throughout his lifetime to support churches, schools and the community as a whole such as donating the land for the Winder Community swimming Pool and the old Winder Library on Midland Avenue. Hal's philosophy was to always give something to support the local community and local projects.
