Sylva endorses county namesake change Walter S. Jackson. The Town of Sylva joined the Village of Forest Hills last week in formerly supporting a request from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to substitute former Principal Chief Walter S. Jackson for former President Andrew Jackson as Jackson County’s namesake. With a 4-1 vote, the body passed a resolution in favor of the change during its Dec. 10 meeting. Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh provided the sole opposing vote. “On Oct. 29, unanimously the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians passed a resolution requesting that the namesake of Jackson County be changed from former President Andrew Jackson to Walter S. Jackson, who by my reading was quite a remarkable individual and someone very important to the tribe,” said Commissioner Ben Guiney, who introduced the resolution.