Madison is a city in Jefferson County, Indiana, United States. It is the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. Madison sits right along the Ohio River.

In 2020, about 12,357 people lived in Madison. It's the biggest city along the Ohio River between Louisville and Cincinnati. A large part of Madison's downtown area was named a National Historic Landmark in 2006. This means its historic buildings are very important to the country's history.

History of Madison
- Railroads and Growth
- Historic Places and Events
  - Jefferson County Courthouse Fire
  - The 1974 Super Outbreak of Tornadoes
Geography
- Climate
Demographics
Powerboat Racing
Education
Notable People
Images for kids
See also

History of Madison

Historic buildings line Main Street in Madison

Madison was first planned out in 1810. The first pieces of land were sold in 1811 by a person named John Paul. In its early years, Madison was a very busy place. This was because of all the boats on the river and its location as a main entry point into the Indiana Territory. It was also important for the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. A barbershop in town, owned by George DeBaptiste, was a key spot for this effort.

By 1850, Madison was the third-largest city in Indiana. It was also among the 100 biggest cities in the entire U.S.

Railroads and Growth

Indiana's first railroad, the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, was built here. Construction started in 1836 and finished in 1847. This railroad was very successful for over ten years. However, its importance later faded.

Madison's time as a top city in Indiana changed when river traffic slowed down. Also, new railroads were built that connected other big cities like Louisville, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. This meant Madison's trade network wasn't as central anymore. Because of this, Madison didn't grow as fast after the Civil War.

Even so, many new buildings were still built in the late 1800s. Older buildings were often updated with new styles. Today, the Madison National Landmark Historic District has many examples of old buildings. They show different building styles from the 1800s and early 1900s.

In 1952, the town of North Madison became part of the city. This helped bring city services to new businesses. In 1974, a tornado caused damage to some buildings in that area.

Historic Places and Events

Downtown Madison became a National Historic Landmark District in 2006. This means it's recognized for its important history. Soon after this, a fire badly damaged two historic buildings downtown. These were the Madison Elks Lodge and an old city hall building.

Other important places listed on the National Register of Historic Places include:

The Crawford-Whitehead-Ross House
The Jefferson County Jail
The Lanier Mansion
The Charles L. Shrewsbury House

Jefferson County Courthouse Fire

The Jefferson County Courthouse dome engulfed in flames.

On May 20, 2009, the dome of the Jefferson County Courthouse caught fire. The dome had just been painted to celebrate Madison's 200th birthday. Smoke and flames rose high into the air. Firefighters worked for hours to control the blaze. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. The fire was caused by a worker using a torch to solder copper on the roof. The damaged dome was later removed.

The 1974 Super Outbreak of Tornadoes

The 1974 Super Outbreak was one of the biggest tornado outbreaks ever recorded. From April 3 to April 4, 1974, 148 tornadoes hit 13 different states. These storms caused a lot of damage over a huge area.

One very strong tornado, an F4, formed near Henryville. It traveled through Jefferson County, hitting the towns of Hanover and Madison. Sadly, eleven people lost their lives in this storm, and 300 more were hurt. In Hanover, most of the town was destroyed or badly damaged. This included the Hanover College campus. Almost all of the college's buildings were damaged, and many trees were knocked down.

In Madison, seven people died because of this tornado. About 300 homes were destroyed. The tornado also affected the community of China, causing more sadness.

Geography

Madison is located at 38°45′N 85°24′W, on the north side of the Ohio River. Across the river to the south is Milton, Kentucky. U.S. Route 421 goes through the middle of Madison. It crosses the Ohio River into Kentucky using the Milton–Madison Bridge. US-421 goes north to Versailles, Indiana, and south to Campbellsburg, Kentucky.

Indiana State Road 7 starts in Madison and goes northwest to Vernon. Indiana State Road 56, also known as the Ohio River Scenic Byway, is Madison's Main Street. It goes east to Vevay and west to Scottsburg. Louisville, Kentucky, is about 48 miles southwest, and Cincinnati is about 68 miles northeast.

To the west of Madison is Clifty Falls State Park. This park has a deep canyon with several waterfalls. The land here rises about 400 feet above the Ohio River valley.

According to the 2010 census, Madison covers about 8.84 square miles. Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Climate

Madison has a climate with hot, humid summers. The winters are generally mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	3,798	—
1850	8,012	111.0%
1860	8,130	1.5%
1870	10,709	31.7%
1880	8,945	−16.5%
1890	8,936	−0.1%
1900	7,835	−12.3%
1910	6,934	−11.5%
1920	6,711	−3.2%
1930	6,530	−2.7%
1940	6,923	6.0%
1950	7,506	8.4%
1960	10,488	39.7%
1970	13,081	24.7%
1980	12,472	−4.7%
1990	12,006	−3.7%
2000	12,004	0.0%
2010	11,967	−0.3%
2020	12,357	3.3%
Source: US Census Bureau

In 2010, there were 11,967 people living in Madison. There were 5,048 households, which are groups of people living together. The city's population density was about 1,396 people per square mile.

Most of the people living in Madison were White (93.5%). There were also African American (2.8%), Asian (1.2%), and Native American (0.2%) residents. About 1.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Madison was 42.2 years old. About 21% of the residents were under 18 years old.

Powerboat Racing

Miss Madison is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane and the only community-owned unlimited hydroplane in the world.

Madison has a long history of powerboat racing, going back to 1911. Since 1948, the city has held an annual race called the Madison Regatta. Since 1954, this regatta has hosted a major Unlimited hydroplane race every July.

Even though Madison is a smaller city, its regatta is a big event in hydroplane racing. It draws about 70,000 to 100,000 people each year around the July 4 weekend. A week-long festival also takes place along the river during this time.

A special source of pride for Madison is its hydroplane racer, Miss Madison. It's the only unlimited hydroplane in the world owned by a community. The boat started racing in 1961. For many years, it often finished near the bottom in races.

However, in 1971, the Miss Madison pulled off a huge upset win. It won the APBA Gold Cup, a very important race, right there in Madison. This was amazing because it was a low-budget team with an older boat. They beat much richer teams with newer, faster boats. This famous win was even made into a movie called Madison.

More recently, the Miss Madison team has done very well. With driver Steve David, the boat won the H1 Unlimited National High Points Championship in 2008. In 2011, the boat was badly damaged in a crash but was repaired. It then went on to win another big race in Seattle. Local fundraisers often help pay for repairs to the boat.

The Madison-based team continues to compete in the H1 Unlimited championship today.

Education

Madison has several schools for students of all ages.

Madison Consolidated Schools

Madison Consolidated High School
Madison Consolidated Junior High School
Ryker's Ridge Elementary School
Anderson Elementary School
Lydia-Middleton Elementary School
Deputy Elementary School

Southwestern Schools

Southwestern Junior and Senior High School
Southwestern Elementary School

Prince of Peace Catholic Schools

Shawe Memorial High School
Pope John XXIII Elementary School

Other Private Schools

Christian Academy of Madison

Madison also has a branch of the Jefferson County Public Library.

Notable People

Many interesting people have come from Madison, Indiana:

David L. Armstrong, a former mayor of Louisville, Kentucky.
George Benson, a professional football player.
Jesse D. Bright, who was a Lieutenant Governor of Indiana.
James Graham Brown, a businessman and generous giver.
Bryan Bullington, a professional baseball pitcher.
Francis Costigan, a famous architect.
Irene Dunne, an actress nominated for five Academy Awards, grew up here.
William Eckert, a former commissioner for Major League Baseball.
Steve Green, a basketball player for Indiana University and the NBA.
James F.D. Lanier, who started the State Bank of Indiana.
David Graham Phillips, a novelist and journalist.
Paul Sorvino, a well-known actor.
Milton Stapp, a Lieutenant Governor of Indiana and Madison's second mayor.
Jeremiah C. Sullivan, a Civil War general.
Tommy Thevenow, a professional baseball player who won the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
George David Yater, a watercolor artist.

Images for kids

Jefferson County Courthouse in Madison
Flag of Madison, Indiana
Seal of Madison, Indiana
Location of Madison in Jefferson County, Indiana
Historic buildings line Main Street in Madison
The Jefferson County Courthouse dome engulfed in flames.
Miss Madison is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane and the only community-owned unlimited hydroplane in the world.