1811-2011 Let's Celebrate Madison Township

celebrate v. 1 mark (a significant time or event) with an enjoyable activity.  3 honour or praise publicly.  

Tomorrow the community of Madison Township will mark 200 years with ceremony, celebration.  The original minutes from the township's creation will be read.  The Madison Historical Society will provide pieces of the area's history to view.  Commemorative t-shirts will be on sale.  The Madison High School Jazz Band will perform and former township officials and veterans will be recognized.  The program will be held at Madison High School.  The event is scheduled to begin at 6:15pm.  In case you can not attend tomorrow's bicentennial program, I have highlighted some of the history of village and township of Madison.

From 1795-1797 the Connecticut Land Company surveyed its territory.  Early settlers came to Cunningham Creek (Arcola) and named the area Ellensburg, or Madison Dock.  A settlement on the eastern township line was named Unionville.  The center portion was named Chapintown, later called Centerville, which would become Madison Village.  Established on  March 13, 1811, the town founders held their first meeting on April 1.  Madison joined Lake County in 1840 and was incorporated in the year 1867.  Bog iron was common to the area and led to an early industrial era.  Erie Furnance, Arcole Furnance, Trumbull Mill, ship building, and steamship building were early businesses.

To learn more about the local history that is Madison, several options are recommended.  Founded in 1978, The Madison Historical Societ welcomes new members or visitors.  Their website, www.historicalmadison.org offers a virtual museum.  Lastly, one can purchase a Madison book from the Arcadia Publisher series entitled Images of America in local bookstores.