Jackson is a city in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about 40 miles west of Ann Arbor and 35 miles south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. Founded in 1829, it was named after President Andrew Jackson. By the late 19th century, it had developed as a railroad hub and was known as the crossroads of Michigan. By 1910 it had strong manufacturing of a variety of automobiles and parts and was also a center of corset manufacturing into the 1920s. Jackson is one of the birthplaces of the Republican Party. The first official meeting of the group that called itself “Republican” was held in Jackson on July 6, 1854. In 1914, George Todoroff founded the first “Coney Island restaurant” and created his famous Coney Island hot dog topping.