Madison, Indiana, USA
1854 - Madison

Madison, a flourishing city and river port of Indiana, and seat of justice of Jefferson county, on the Ohio river, 90 miles below Cincinnati. 44 miles above Louisville, and 86 miles S. 8. E. from Indianapolis. It is advantageously situated for trade, and is equal, if not superior, to any town of the state in population and importance. Steamboats make regular passages between this port and other towns of the Mississippi valley. The navigation is usually open all winter in ordinary seasons. Several steamboats are owned here. Madison is the 8. terminus of the Madison and Indianapolis railroad, which was completed in 1848, and is doing a large business in conveying freight and passengers. The city is beautifully situated in a valley nearly 3 miles in length, which is en closed on the N. by steep and rugged hills about 400 feet high. The site is elevated 80 or 40 feet above the highest floods. Madison is well built, containing a larger proportion of brick houses than is usual in the towns of Indiana. It has a court house, a jail, 2 market houses, 1 bank, 2 large public schools, and about 16 churches. There are 4 or 5 newspapers published here. Several of the streets are paved, and lighted with gas. A considerable amount of capital and labor is employed in manufactures of cotton, wool, iron, machinery, and oil, and the establishments for packing pork are very extensive. First settled in 1808. Pop. in 1840, 3798; in 1850, including N. Madison village, 8681 ; in 1853, about 12.000.


A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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