Jake's Chair History
Let me first, give much credit where credit is due. The original creator and designer of the Jake's chair plans is not named Jake, but rather Tom Gauldin. Tom recounts in the first page of the Jake's Chair plans how he remembered as a child playing in the summertime at Judge Jake Robertson's home. The children all enjoyed being the lucky ones to end up in Jake's chair.
Tom, later on in life, remembered the chairs distinctly, and could not find anything similar, anywhere. So, Tom being the skilled individual that I imagine he is, decided to sketch up some plans for the famous Jake's Chair. According to Tom's notes, it took him 6 generations to get the chair how he imagined it, which you can also read about in the first page or two of the plans. After the project was complete, he decided to name the chairs in honor of his honor, Judge Jake Robertson. Hence the name, "Jake's Chair."