Madison County, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Madison County
County
Old Madison County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of New York
New York's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	New York
Founded	1806
Named for	James Madison
Seat	Wampsville
Largest city	Oneida
Area
• Total	661 sq mi (1,710 km2)
• Land	655 sq mi (1,700 km2)
• Water	6.4 sq mi (17 km2)  1.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	68,016
• Density	100/sq mi (40/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	22nd

Madison County is a county in the state of New York. In 2020, about 68,016 people lived here. Its main town, or county seat, is Wampsville.

The county is named after James Madison, who was the fourth President of the United States. Madison County was created in 1806. It is part of the Central New York area.

Madison County is also part of the larger Syracuse metropolitan area. It is home to special places like the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum.

History of Madison County

Early Peoples and Land

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples lived around Oneida Lake. The Oneida Indian Nation are an Iroquoian-speaking group. They became a distinct culture in this area around the 1300s. The Oneida are one of the original Five Nations that formed the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee.

In 1683, English colonists started creating counties in New York. At that time, the area that is now Madison County was part of a huge county called Albany County. This large area included parts of New York, all of Vermont, and was thought to stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean. However, Native American groups like the Oneida, Onondaga, and Mohawk mostly lived there.

Changes to County Borders

Over time, Albany County was divided into smaller counties. In 1772, a large western part became Tryon County. This county was named after William Tryon, who was the governor at the time.

The "Twenty Townships" west of the Unadilla River, sold by the Oneida Indians in 1788. This was known as "Clinton's Purchase."

After the American Revolutionary War, New York changed Tryon County's name to Montgomery County. This honored General Richard Montgomery, a hero of the war.

The Oneida Nation had helped the American Patriots during the war. Because of this, they were given land for a reservation near Oneida Lake. However, settlers wanted more land. In 1788, New York's Governor George Clinton bought some Oneida land. This was called the "Clinton Purchase" or the "Twenty Townships."

Land Disputes and Modern Times

Later, the United States Supreme Court said this sale was against the law. This is because New York State did not have the right to buy land directly from Native American tribes. Only the federal government could do that.

Over the years, Montgomery County was divided many times. Eventually, Chenango County was formed in 1798. Finally, in 1806, Madison County was created from parts of Chenango County.

In the late 1900s, the Oneida tribes from Wisconsin, New York, and Canada sued New York State. They wanted their ancestral lands back. The Supreme Court agreed that the original land sale was unconstitutional. In 2010, New York offered some land to the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin to settle part of the lawsuit.

Geography of Madison County

Madison County covers about 661 square miles (1,712 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with about 6.4 square miles (16.6 square kilometers) being water.

The county is in central New York State. It is just east of Syracuse. The exact center of New York State is located in Pratts Hollow, which is in the Town of Eaton within Madison County.

Oneida Lake and Oneida Creek form part of the county's northern border. There used to be a large swamp south of the lake called the Great Swamp. It was drained in the early 1900s to create rich farmland. This area became known for growing onions. Chittenango Creek forms much of the western border.

Neighboring Counties

Madison County shares borders with several other counties:

• Chenango County is to the south.
• Onondaga County and Cortland County are to the west. Onondaga County has the longest border with Madison County.
• Otsego County is a small border in the southeast.
• Oneida County is to the northeast.
• Oswego County is across Oneida Lake to the north.

Population of Madison County

In 2000, there were 69,441 people living in Madison County. Most people were White (96.49%). Other groups included African American, Native American, and Asian people. About 1.06% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The median age in the county was 36 years old. This means half the people were younger than 36, and half were older.

2020 Census Information

Most of Madison County is rural, meaning it has a lot of open land and small towns. However, some areas near Syracuse, like Cazenovia, are more like suburbs.

Communities in Madison County

Largest Towns and Villages

† - This is the county seat, where the main government offices are.

‡ - This community is not entirely within Madison County.

Towns in Madison County

The towns in the southern part of Madison County were once part of the "Twenty Townships" land deal with the Oneida tribe.

Small Villages (Hamlets)

• Hubbardsville
• Leonardsville
• New Woodstock
• Peterboro
• West Edmeston

Education in Madison County

School Districts

Many different school districts serve the students of Madison County:

Colleges and Universities

Madison County is home to a few colleges:

• Colgate University
• State University of New York at Morrisville
• Cazenovia College (this college has closed)

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Madison (Nueva York) para niños