Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 78% of U.S. towns · #448 of 758 in New York. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1902 on, and the census since 1820.
The Madison post office opened in 1806, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 78% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Madison is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #448 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Madison’s 7.3 sits near the middle of its state (41% of New York towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Madison’s history is told.
Madison’s post office has been open since 1806.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereEdward Maynard is born here
Born hereHenry Cleveland Putnam is born here
BuiltChenango Canal Summit Level is built
Born hereElmer D. Morse is born here
In the archiveBouckville (Village); Madison (Township); Town of Madison Business Notices
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Madison.
Settlement began circa 1794. The town was formed in 1807 from a portion of the town of Hamilton. Darwin D. Martin, a Larkin Company executive, was born in Bouckville in 1865.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Madison, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Madison is the point of termination of the Madison and Lafayette rail road, which is in such forwardness as to induce the belief that no delay will be permitted to take place until it is ready for the car. This road is to extend, as by its title is implied, from Madison, to Lafayette, on the Wabash river, the seat of justice of Tippecanoe county, bisecting Indiana in a southeasterly and northwesterly direction, passing through Indianapo-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In 1889, as above stated, he was elected Recorder of Madison County, and took possession of the office in November, 1890. Marion, of which Indianapolis is the county seat, is the only county in this state where tlie number of documents filed for record exceeds those of Madison. All of the following cities and towns are growing rapidly and the sales of real estate in each are large: An-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Mr. Vermillion is one of the native-born citizens of Madison County, Monroe Township being the place of his birth, and August 7, 1864, the date thereof. He is one of seven chiklren (three of whom are living) born to the union of Uriah C. and Mary Vermillion, natives respectively of Madison County, Ind., and Ohio. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Samuel Luther Morrow, was a teacher
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ceived, and March 13 set for its hearing." Under date of March 13, 1866, "This day being set for the hearing of the petition for the incorporation of Canal Winchester in Madison township. After the examination of the proceedings, it was found that the petitioners had failed to notify according to law, and the proceedings in said matter were all annulled, consequently a new petition was presented, and was placed on file,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Madison. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Madison.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Madison’s page.
Retake this view · +15The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 1,515 and 3,008 people in every census since 1820.
21 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Madison’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Madison post office opened in 1806, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Madison is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #448 of 758 in New York. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Two places: the Coolidge Stores Building (listed 2001) and the Chenango Canal Summit Level (2005).
23% of Madison’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.2 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1971.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
