October 9, 2020 marks his 150th birthday. Research has documented his life—and unusual career. He was born into a farm family in Iowa and he became a farmer as well. A new career began building when he was in his late 30s. Frank Jackson made his mark by becoming a professional horseshoe pitcher. He was the first national horseshoe champion in 1909. He repeated that success multiple times and was recognized as something of a celebrity, certainly among the horseshoe pitchers of the nation. Portraits show him posed by a display of trophies—while wearing an assortment of medals and ribbons.
Mr. Jackson competed in tournaments of various levels, countless state fairs, and was still traveling the country exhibiting his expertise as late as 1937 when he would have been in his late 60s. Horseshoe tournaments and exhibitions frequently included Frank with at least one of his four sons—three of which certainly inherited some of the sportsman’s talent with horseshoes.
In recognition of his national titles, Frank Jackson was among the first group of inductees to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association hall of fame in 1966.
Quote from The Farm Journal (October 1922):
“Frank Jackson, a farmer of Kellerton, Iowa, pitched horseshoes with the Chicago Champions and won in a walk. In one match he made twenty-six ringers and nine double ringers. He pitched in perfect form, each of the two and a half pound shoes turning two and a half times in the flight of forty feet, and alighting with the calks facing the peg. Jackson says he has pitched horseshoes on the farm since he was old enough to plow…”
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Mr. Jackson's obituary:
The Tribune (Tampa, FL) December 1955:
Horseshoe Champion
Dies At 85
Frank Elray [sic] Jackson, who held the world's horseshoe pitching championship 13 times since 1908, died Tuesday night in a Tampa hospital. He was 85.
Mr. Jackson claimed to have been the only man who ever played a complete 50-point game with all ringers. He held a record of 68 ringers without a miss and another record of 76.3 per cent ringer average for a tournament.
He has staged demonstrations of his horseshoe pitching skill on occasion, showing bystanders how he could light a matched placed by a stake with a horseshoe pitched from 40 feet, ring a stake hidden from his view by a blanket, and ring the legs of a chair on which another person was sitting.
Retired Farmer
He was a retired Iowa farmer, had had lived in Tampa for several years, at 712 Stratford. He was born in Kellerton, Iowa.
He was an honorary member of the Sunshine Pleasure Club of St. Petersburg and of the Sulphur Springs Tourist Club of Tampa. He was also a member of the Methodist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Vera Blount [sic--Blunt], and Mrs. Corda Townsley, both of Kansas; three sons, Carrol E. (Jack) Jackson, Tampa; Hansford E. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif., and Vyrl D. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif.; a brother, Fred Jackson, of Los Angeles, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Mr. Jackson competed in tournaments of various levels, countless state fairs, and was still traveling the country exhibiting his expertise as late as 1937 when he would have been in his late 60s. Horseshoe tournaments and exhibitions frequently included Frank with at least one of his four sons—three of which certainly inherited some of the sportsman’s talent with horseshoes.
In recognition of his national titles, Frank Jackson was among the first group of inductees to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association hall of fame in 1966.
Quote from The Farm Journal (October 1922):
“Frank Jackson, a farmer of Kellerton, Iowa, pitched horseshoes with the Chicago Champions and won in a walk. In one match he made twenty-six ringers and nine double ringers. He pitched in perfect form, each of the two and a half pound shoes turning two and a half times in the flight of forty feet, and alighting with the calks facing the peg. Jackson says he has pitched horseshoes on the farm since he was old enough to plow…”
---------------------------------------------------
Mr. Jackson's obituary:
The Tribune (Tampa, FL) December 1955:
Horseshoe Champion
Dies At 85
Frank Elray [sic] Jackson, who held the world's horseshoe pitching championship 13 times since 1908, died Tuesday night in a Tampa hospital. He was 85.
Mr. Jackson claimed to have been the only man who ever played a complete 50-point game with all ringers. He held a record of 68 ringers without a miss and another record of 76.3 per cent ringer average for a tournament.
He has staged demonstrations of his horseshoe pitching skill on occasion, showing bystanders how he could light a matched placed by a stake with a horseshoe pitched from 40 feet, ring a stake hidden from his view by a blanket, and ring the legs of a chair on which another person was sitting.
Retired Farmer
He was a retired Iowa farmer, had had lived in Tampa for several years, at 712 Stratford. He was born in Kellerton, Iowa.
He was an honorary member of the Sunshine Pleasure Club of St. Petersburg and of the Sulphur Springs Tourist Club of Tampa. He was also a member of the Methodist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Vera Blount [sic--Blunt], and Mrs. Corda Townsley, both of Kansas; three sons, Carrol E. (Jack) Jackson, Tampa; Hansford E. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif., and Vyrl D. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif.; a brother, Fred Jackson, of Los Angeles, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
October 9, 2020 marks his 150th birthday. Research has documented his life—and unusual career. He was born into a farm family in Iowa and he became a farmer as well. A new career began building when he was in his late 30s. Frank Jackson made his mark by becoming a professional horseshoe pitcher. He was the first national horseshoe champion in 1909. He repeated that success multiple times and was recognized as something of a celebrity, certainly among the horseshoe pitchers of the nation. Portraits show him posed by a display of trophies—while wearing an assortment of medals and ribbons.
Mr. Jackson competed in tournaments of various levels, countless state fairs, and was still traveling the country exhibiting his expertise as late as 1937 when he would have been in his late 60s. Horseshoe tournaments and exhibitions frequently included Frank with at least one of his four sons—three of which certainly inherited some of the sportsman’s talent with horseshoes.
In recognition of his national titles, Frank Jackson was among the first group of inductees to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association hall of fame in 1966.
Quote from The Farm Journal (October 1922):
“Frank Jackson, a farmer of Kellerton, Iowa, pitched horseshoes with the Chicago Champions and won in a walk. In one match he made twenty-six ringers and nine double ringers. He pitched in perfect form, each of the two and a half pound shoes turning two and a half times in the flight of forty feet, and alighting with the calks facing the peg. Jackson says he has pitched horseshoes on the farm since he was old enough to plow…”
---------------------------------------------------
Mr. Jackson's obituary:
The Tribune (Tampa, FL) December 1955:
Horseshoe Champion
Dies At 85
Frank Elray [sic] Jackson, who held the world's horseshoe pitching championship 13 times since 1908, died Tuesday night in a Tampa hospital. He was 85.
Mr. Jackson claimed to have been the only man who ever played a complete 50-point game with all ringers. He held a record of 68 ringers without a miss and another record of 76.3 per cent ringer average for a tournament.
He has staged demonstrations of his horseshoe pitching skill on occasion, showing bystanders how he could light a matched placed by a stake with a horseshoe pitched from 40 feet, ring a stake hidden from his view by a blanket, and ring the legs of a chair on which another person was sitting.
Retired Farmer
He was a retired Iowa farmer, had had lived in Tampa for several years, at 712 Stratford. He was born in Kellerton, Iowa.
He was an honorary member of the Sunshine Pleasure Club of St. Petersburg and of the Sulphur Springs Tourist Club of Tampa. He was also a member of the Methodist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Vera Blount [sic--Blunt], and Mrs. Corda Townsley, both of Kansas; three sons, Carrol E. (Jack) Jackson, Tampa; Hansford E. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif., and Vyrl D. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif.; a brother, Fred Jackson, of Los Angeles, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Mr. Jackson competed in tournaments of various levels, countless state fairs, and was still traveling the country exhibiting his expertise as late as 1937 when he would have been in his late 60s. Horseshoe tournaments and exhibitions frequently included Frank with at least one of his four sons—three of which certainly inherited some of the sportsman’s talent with horseshoes.
In recognition of his national titles, Frank Jackson was among the first group of inductees to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association hall of fame in 1966.
Quote from The Farm Journal (October 1922):
“Frank Jackson, a farmer of Kellerton, Iowa, pitched horseshoes with the Chicago Champions and won in a walk. In one match he made twenty-six ringers and nine double ringers. He pitched in perfect form, each of the two and a half pound shoes turning two and a half times in the flight of forty feet, and alighting with the calks facing the peg. Jackson says he has pitched horseshoes on the farm since he was old enough to plow…”
---------------------------------------------------
Mr. Jackson's obituary:
The Tribune (Tampa, FL) December 1955:
Horseshoe Champion
Dies At 85
Frank Elray [sic] Jackson, who held the world's horseshoe pitching championship 13 times since 1908, died Tuesday night in a Tampa hospital. He was 85.
Mr. Jackson claimed to have been the only man who ever played a complete 50-point game with all ringers. He held a record of 68 ringers without a miss and another record of 76.3 per cent ringer average for a tournament.
He has staged demonstrations of his horseshoe pitching skill on occasion, showing bystanders how he could light a matched placed by a stake with a horseshoe pitched from 40 feet, ring a stake hidden from his view by a blanket, and ring the legs of a chair on which another person was sitting.
Retired Farmer
He was a retired Iowa farmer, had had lived in Tampa for several years, at 712 Stratford. He was born in Kellerton, Iowa.
He was an honorary member of the Sunshine Pleasure Club of St. Petersburg and of the Sulphur Springs Tourist Club of Tampa. He was also a member of the Methodist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Vera Blount [sic--Blunt], and Mrs. Corda Townsley, both of Kansas; three sons, Carrol E. (Jack) Jackson, Tampa; Hansford E. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif., and Vyrl D. Jackson, Los Angeles, Calif.; a brother, Fred Jackson, of Los Angeles, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Bio by: Russ C
Gravesite Details
Double headstone with Marinda Alma Jackson.
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