Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
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.
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.
From 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.
After his return to Madison Count3-, our subject for three years worked at his trade of a carpenter, but at the expiration of this length of time removing to a farm in Boone Township, he has ever since devoted his time to the pursuit of agriculture, and is numbered among the prosperous and substantial tillers of the soil in Madison County. In 1868 Solomon C. Call and Miss Caro-
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.
The members of Madison and Hamilton Granges, comprising many of the most progressive and enterprising farmers of Madison and adjoining townships, had very much to do with the organization of Franklin Digitized by Google
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 · +15Between 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.
The Madison post office opened in 1806, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
1875