Jailhouse Park took its name from its proximity to the town jail, built circa 1875 on a 40 square foot plot owned by Dr. C.H. Richardson and purchased by the commissioners of the city of Byron for $20.00, and the park was later developed as a project of the Byron Area Historical Society with assistance from a state of Georgia grant. In the 1850's, Byron was a flag stop on the Southwestern Railroad known as "number one and one-half station," and because Mr. Nimrod Jackson maintained a wood rack there for wood-burning engines, the stop later became known as Jackson Station. The town, said to stand on the highest point between Macon and Vicksburg, Mississippi, attracted settlers with its climate, supply of soft water, rich agricultural land, and easy railroad access. Victorian cottages and two-story houses arose along the railroad, followed by businesses, stores, churches, and schools. Dr. Charles H. Richardson, a young doctor and landowner, was the area's leading promoter, and legend held that he proposed naming the town for his favorite poet, Lord Byron. Through his efforts as a member of the State Legislature, Byron was incorporated and granted a charter in 1874. Dr. Richardson became its first mayor, and the first commissioners were T.B. Goff, T.D. Warren, Thomas Sanders, J.C. Parrott, and C.H. Richardson.