Jackson City

Depending on how adventurous you were, the land that is now the Pentagon was either the place to be or the place to stay away from in the mid 1800s. “Jackson City,” as it was called, was home to a red-light district, complete with saloons, betting parlors, a racetrack, and brothels. Based on the area’s clientele, the neighborhood was nicknamed “The Monte Carlo of America.” By the early 1900s, though, Jackson City had cleaned up its act—perhaps by force more than choice. In 1904, a self-appointed “cleanup” crew known as the “Good Citizens League” took it upon themselves to burn down Jackson City’s institutions, later making the area available to become the site of Hoover Airport.