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Madison County, Georgia facts for kids

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Madison County
Madison County Courthouse in Danielsville
Madison County Courthouse in Danielsville
Map of Georgia highlighting Madison County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Georgia
Founded December 5, 1811; 212 years ago (1811-12-05)
Named for James Madison
Seat Danielsville
Largest city Comer
Area
 • Total 286 sq mi (740 km2)
 • Land 282 sq mi (730 km2)
 • Water 3.3 sq mi (9 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 30,120
 • Density 107/sq mi (41/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 9th

Madison County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,120. The county seat is Danielsville. The county was created on December 5, 1811. The county's largest city is Comer with a population of 1,200.

Madison County was included in the Athens–Clarke County metropolitan area, which is included in the Atlanta–Athens–Clarke County–Sandy Springs CSA.

History

Madison County was organized by an act of the General Assembly of Georgia on December 11, 1811. It was named for James Madison, who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. It was the 38th county formed in Georgia, and began to function as a county in 1812. Madison County was formed from the counties of Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Jackson, Oglethorpe.

Early agriculture in Madison County was devoted to food crops and livestock (cattle, hogs, and sheep), which were sufficient to feed the population. Just after the Civil War ended, the demand for a cash crop led to major reliance on cotton. The soils of Madison County were heavily damaged by this cotton monoculture. From the 1930s on, agriculture became more diverse. Today, agribusiness dominates the local economy, with poultry production particularly important.

Madison and Oglethorpe counties share Watson Mill Bridge State Park, the site of the longest covered bridge in Georgia. The bridge, which is over 100 years old, spans 229 feet of the South Fork of the Broad River. There are also facilities for camping, hiking trails, picnicking, and fishing in the park.

The Madison County Courthouse, one of the most ornate in Georgia, was built in 1901 for the sum of $18,314. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. New Hope Presbyterian Church, established in 1788, is the third oldest church in Georgia.

Lt. Col. Lemuel Penn, a decorated veteran of World War II and a United States Army Reserve officer, was murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan on July 11, 1964, nine days after passage of the Civil Rights Act, on a Broad River bridge on the Georgia State Route 172 in Madison County.

Postal history

In 1879, there were only four post offices in Madison County: Danielsville, Fort Lamar, Madison Springs and Paoli. In 1889, Madison county had post offices at Carlton, Danielsville, Dowdy, Fort Lamar, Gholston (Gholston's Stand), Hix, Ila, Madison Springs, Medicus, Paoli and Planter.

By 1900, additional post offices had been opened in Alvin, Berea, Boggs, Carruth, Comer, Fiveforks (now Comer), Jeptha, Larkin, Monitor, Neese, Pocataligo and Sorrells, while the offices in Gholston and Medicus had been closed. By 1910, most of these post offices had closed; the only remaining ones were in Carlton, Colbert, Comer, Danielsville and Hull.

By 1920, the office in Ila had reopened. The county would retain these six post offices into the 21st century.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km2), of which 282 square miles (730 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (1.1%) is water.

The vast majority of Madison County is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin, with just a very small portion of the county's western edge located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • US 29.svg U.S. Route 29
  • Georgia 8.svg State Route 8
  • Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
  • Georgia 72.svg State Route 72 Business
  • Georgia 72.svg State Route 72 Bypass
  • Georgia 72.svg State Route 72 Spur
  • Georgia 98.svg State Route 98
  • Georgia 106.svg State Route 106
  • Georgia 172.svg State Route 172
  • Georgia 174.svg State Route 174
  • Georgia 191.svg State Route 191
  • Georgia 281.svg State Route 281

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

  • Alvin
  • Dogsboro
  • Fort Lamar
  • Hix
  • Paoli
  • Planter
  • Pocataligo
  • Shiloh

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 3,735
1830 4,646 24.4%
1840 4,510 −2.9%
1850 5,703 26.5%
1860 5,933 4.0%
1870 5,227 −11.9%
1880 7,977 52.6%
1890 11,024 38.2%
1900 13,224 20.0%
1910 16,851 27.4%
1920 18,803 11.6%
1930 14,921 −20.6%
1940 13,431 −10.0%
1950 12,238 −8.9%
1960 11,246 −8.1%
1970 13,517 20.2%
1980 17,747 31.3%
1990 21,050 18.6%
2000 25,730 22.2%
2010 28,120 9.3%
2020 30,120 7.1%
2023 (est.) 32,191 14.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1880 1890-1910
1920-1930 1930-1940
1940-1950 1960-1980
1980-2000 2010
Madison County racial composition as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White 23,549 78.18%
Black or African American 2,753 9.14%
Native American 44 0.15%
Asian 521 1.73%
Pacific Islander 4 0.01%
Other/Mixed 1,293 4.29%
Hispanic or Latino 1,956 6.49%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,120 people, 10,744 households, and 8,153 families residing in the county.

Education

Madison County public education is served by the Madison County School District. The Madison County Board of Education oversees and operates the public charter school system in the School District. Madison County Board of Education operates 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 high school and 1 career academy.

The Madison County Board of Education is overseen by 5 elected board members, from 5 districts in the county. The Board appoints a School Superintendent who works at the pleasure of the Board as a whole.

The district has 290 full-time teachers and over 4,621 students.

Public Schools

  • Colbert Elementary School
  • Comer Elementary School
  • Danielsville Elementary School
  • Hull-Sanford Elementary School
  • Ila Elementary School
  • Madison County Middle School (MCMS), Home of the Mustangs
  • Madison County High School (MCHS), Home of the Red Raiders
  • Broad River College and Career Academy

Private schools

  • Union Christian Academy, Hull
  • The Busy Box Pre-School, Hull
  • The Learning Train Pre-School, Colbert
  • Building Blocks Pre-School, Hull

Notable people

  • Allen Daniel Jr. – major general, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, state senator, namesake of Danielsville
  • Josh Fields – Major League baseball player
  • Crawford W. Long – the man who first used ether in surgery
  • Ralph Hudgens – Georgia insurance and safety fire commissioner
  • Jake Westbrook – former Major League baseball player

Historic sites

  • Watson Mill Bridge – the longest original-site covered bridge in Georgia
  • Birthplace of Crawford W. Long
  • Murder site of Lt. Col. Lemuel Penn
  • William Bartram Trail

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Madison (Georgia) para niños

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