Robert L. Jackson

Robert L. Jackson was a tailor and the founder of the Birmingham Unions professional baseball team, and the 8-team Southern Colored League in which they competed in the late 1890s.

In 1894 Jackson was recognized as one of the "prominent colored young men" of Birmingham. He led the grand march which kicked off a banquet and ball. In April 1896 he was elected as a delegate to the Jefferson County Republican Convention. In August of that year he joined with C. H. Turner and I. H. McCoy to organize a cake walk at the West End Ball Park.

In 1896 Jackson's tailoring business was located at 213½ 20th Street North. In 1897 he was a partner with William Weeden and W. Raleigh Shields in the Artistic Tailoring Co. merchant tailor business which operated at 311 19th Street North. He resigned from that firm on June 1, 1898.

By 1899 he had opened his own shop above the Solomon & Levi saloon at 1928½ 1st Avenue North. By 1902 he had relocated to 1910½ 3rd Avenue North and by 1904 he had moved across the street to 1925 3rd Avenue North, but then by 1906 had returned to 1910½. In 1907 Jackson advertised his tailoring, cleaning and pressing services at 1801½ 2nd Avenue North.

Throughout all those business moves, Jackson resided at 1404 6th Avenue North. He was assaulted by two men just as he pulled up to his gate by bicycle at 11:00 in the evening on April 23, 1905. He was struck several times by blows to the head and robbed of $32.

By 1909 Jackson no longer appeared in city directories and physician Logwood Goin had taken up residence at that address.

References

• "Swell Banquet given by Prominent Leaders in Colored Society" (August 10, 1894) The Birmingham News, p. 6
• "Another Cake Walk" (August 24, 1896) The Birmingham News, p. 7
• "R. L. Jackson Robbed." (April 24, 1905) Birmingham Post-Herald, p. 5