Madison County was organized by an act of the General Assembly of Georgia on December 11, 1811. It was named forJames Madison,[3] 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.[4]
Early agriculture in Madison County was devoted to food crops and livestock (cattle,hogs, andsheep), which were sufficient to feed the population. Just after theCivil War ended, the demand for acash crop led to major reliance oncotton.[5] 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 shareWatson 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.
TheMadison 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.[6]
In 1879, there were only four post offices in Madison County: Danielsville, Fort Lamar, Madison Springs and Paoli.[9] 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.[10]
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.[11] By 1910, most of these post offices had closed; the only remaining ones were in Carlton, Colbert, Comer, Danielsville and Hull.[12]
By 1920, the office in Ila had reopened.[13] The county would retain these six post offices into the 21st century.[update][14]
According to theU.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.[15]
The vast majority of Madison County is located in theBroad River sub-basin of theSavannah River basin, with just a very small portion of the county's western edge located in the UpperOconee River sub-basin of theAltamaha River basin.[16]
The citizens of Madison County are represented by an elected six member board of commissioners. Each commissioner represents one of five districts plus a chairman of the board elected at large for the whole county.
United States presidential election results for Madison County, Georgia[28]
Madison County public education is served by theMadison 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.
^"Post Offices in the United States, December 1, 1879, Arranged by States and Counties."United States Official Postal Guide. Houghton, Osgood and Company, 1880.p. 331.
^"Post Offices in the United States, December 1, 1889, Arranged by States and Counties."United States Official Postal Guide. The Brodix Publishing Company, 1890.p. 478.
^"Post Offices in the United States, December 1, 1900, With Stations and Sub-stations, Arranged by States and Counties."United States Official Postal Guide. George F. Lasher, Printer, 1901.p. 615.
^"Post Offices and Branch Post Offices, Arranged by States and Counties, June 1, 1910."United States Official Postal Guide. J. B. Lyon Printers, 1910.p. 580.
^"County List: Post Offices and Branch Post Offices, June 1, 1920."United States Official Postal Guide. The Post Office Department, 1920.p. 680.
