As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile (541.4/km²). There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile (252.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.61% White, 2.43% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race are 1.36%, Indian Americans are 0.12%.
There were 5,092 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,092, and the median income for a family was $46,241. Males had a median income of $32,800 versus $22,039 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,923. About 10.2% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
Settlers populated Madison beginning as early as 1806, and the town officially incorporated on April 1, 1809. It had flush early years due to heavy river traffic and its position as an entry point into the
Indiana TerritoryThe Territory of Indiana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1800, until November 7, 1816, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Indiana....
along the historic Old Michigan Road.
Indiana's first railroad, the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, was built there between 1836 and 1847. Chartered in 1832 by the Indiana State Legislature as the Madison Indianapolis & Lafayette Railroad, and construction begun September 16, 1836, the railroad was transferred to private ownership on January 31, 1843, as the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad. Successful for more than a decade, the railroad went into decline and was sold at
foreclosureForeclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
in 1862, renamed the Indianapolis & Madison Railroad, and after a series of corporate transfers, became part of the massive
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
system in 1921.
Madison's days as a leading Indiana city were numbered, however, when river traffic declined and new railroads built between
LouisvilleLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
,
IndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, and Cincinnati tapped into Madison's trade network. As a result, Madison's growth did not continue at the same rapid pace it had experienced before the Civil War. During the late nineteenth century, many new buildings were still being built, but, in many cases, older structures were modernized by adding cast iron store fronts and ornamental sheet metal cornices. Some earlier buildings survived without major alterations, and the Madison's National Landmark Historic District today contains examples of all the major architectural styles of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, from Federal to Art Moderne.
Since 1970, the population of Madison has declined from 13,081 to 11,967 according to the latest US Census data.
Jefferson County Courthouse fire
On May 20, 2009, the newly painted dome of the Jefferson County Courthouse caught fire. The blaze started around 6:15 pm. Smoke billowed hundreds of feet in the air and flames rose out of the clock tower. The fire continued to burn for hours. Fire officials reported that the fire was tentatively under control just before 9:45 pm. No major injuries were reported. The dome of the courthouse was being painted in celebration of Madison's bicentennial.
On May 28, 2009, the ruined dome was removed from the top of the courthouse in two pieces. They were examined in the alley between the Courthouse and the Jefferson County Jail. Authorities have stated that the cause of the fire was a contractor using an open-flame propane torch to solder two pieces of copper together in one of the built-in gutters on the north side of the roof. .
Super Outbreak of Tornadoes
The
Super OutbreakThe Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
is the largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period. From April 3 to April 4, 1974, there were 148 tornadoes confirmed in 13 US states, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and New York; and the Canadian province of Ontario. It extensively damaged approximately 900 square miles (1,440 square kilometers) along a total combined path length of 2600 miles (4,184.3 km).[1]
The Super Outbreak of tornadoes of April 3–4, 1974 remains the most outstanding severe convective weather episode of record in the continental United States. The outbreak far surpassed previous and succeeding events in severity, longevity and extent.
Soon after an F-5 tornado struck Depauw northwest of Lousiville, the Hanover/Madison F4 twister formed near Henryville and traveled through Jefferson County, leveling many structures in the small towns of Hanover and Madison. Eleven were killed in this storm while an additional 300 were injured. According to a
WHAS-TVWHAS-TV channel 11 is the ABC affiliated television station in Louisville, Kentucky. Owned by Belo Corporation, the station's transmitter is located in Floyd County, Indiana, near the community of Floyds Knobs...
in Louisville, 90% of Hanover was destroyed or severely damaged, including the
Hanover CollegeHanover College is a private liberal arts college, located in Hanover, Indiana, near the banks of the Ohio River. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . The college was founded in 1827 by the Rev. John Finley Crowe, making it the oldest private college in Indiana. The Hanover...
campus. Despite the fact that no one was killed or seriously injured at the college, 32 of the College's 33 buildings were damaged, including two that were completely destroyed and six that sustained major structural damage. Hundreds of trees were down, completely blocking every campus road. All utilities were knocked out and communication with those off campus was nearly impossible. Damage to the campus alone was estimated at about US$10 million. In Madison, seven fatalities took place, about 300 homes were destroyed and the tornado also brushed the community of China causing additional fatalities.
The same storm would later strike the Cincinnati area, producing multiple tornadoes including another F5.
Powerboat racing
Madison has a powerboat racing tradition dating back to at least 1911. In 1929, the city began holding an annual race, later called the
Madison RegattaThe Lucas Oil Indiana Governor's Cup or Madison Regatta, is a hydroplane boat race and is the first official race of the Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Series season. Its title sponsor for 2010 is Lucas Oil. The race is typically held around Fourth of July weekend on the Ohio River in Madison,...
beginning in 1948. Since 1954, the Madison Regatta has held a high points Unlimited
hydroplane raceHydroplane racing is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.-International Professional Outboard Hydroplane Racing:...
annually in early July. Although Madison has a population of only 12,000, the Regatta maintains its place in Unlimited Hydroplane racing hosting an Air National Guard H1 Unlimited Series race, whose other events are in Detroit, Seattle, San Diego, Evansville, and
Tri-Cities, WashingtonThe Tri-Cities is a mid-sized metropolitan area in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, consisting of three neighboring cities: Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland. The cities are located at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia rivers in the semi-arid region of...
. The Madison Regatta draws about 70,000–100,000 people annually and is held on
July 4Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
weekend. A week-long riverfront festival also surrounds this racing event.
A source of community pride is that Madison has the world's only community-owned unlimited
hydroplane racerHydroplane racing is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.-International Professional Outboard Hydroplane Racing:...
,
Miss MadisonMiss Madison is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane. It is the only community-owned unlimited hydroplane in the world. It is based out of Madison, Indiana, a small town of 12,000 residents on the Ohio River which annually hosts the Madison Regatta...
, which began Unlimited class racing in 1961. The boat, which was been known by various corporate sponsor names but was officially called U-6, traditionally finished near the bottom of the circuit. Before
Anheuser-BuschAnheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
dropped its sponsorship of hydroplane racing after the 2004 season, U-6 had won just six races using a variety of hulls. One of those wins was an upset in the 1971 Regatta, when by a mistake in the bidding process, the APBA Gold Cup was held in Madison for the first time, in which the low-budget team and its 1960-vintage hull defeated the well-funded corporate teams and their newer generation of "Thunderboats". The Gold Cup winner retired at the end of the year, taking second place in the overall national standings, and was replaced with a new Miss Madison in 1972. Newer hulls followed in 1978 and 1988. Madison hosted the APBA Gold Cup Race again in 1979 and 1980.
As a participant in the new H1 Unlimited series, the City of Madison team driver, Steve David, finished first in the H1 Unlimited national point drivers standings in both 2005 and 2006 driving U-6, now in the colors of sponsor
Oh Boy! ObertoOberto Sausage Company is a family-owned business that makes beef jerky, Italian style salami, pepperoni and other snack sausages. It is headquartered in Kent, Washington. It is generally known as Oh Boy! Oberto...
. In 2008, under the aegis of Miss Madison Incorporated and with a new hull built in 2007, the U-1 Miss Madison won its first H1 Unlimited National High Points Championship for Oh Boy! Oberto. On July 3, 2011, at Madison, David escaped serious injury but the hull was seriously damaged when the three-time defending national champion crashed into the U-96 Spirit of Qatar on the third lap of the championship heat after Qatar spun in a turn into the path of the Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison. David and the repaired boat returned in time for the 2011
Columbia CupThe Tri-City Water Follies Lamb Weston Columbia Cup is a hydroplane boat race in the H1 Unlimited season. The race is held each July on the Columbia River in Tri-Cities, Washington, USA. The race is the main attraction of the annual Water Follies festivities...
, where it finished second (to U-96), then won the August 7 Albert Lee Cup in Seattle. In true Miss Madison tradition, the repairs to the hull are being defrayed by local fundraisers.
The
Miss Madisons greatest accomplishment, when it seemingly came from out of nowhere to win the 1971 Gold Cup with an aged boat against powerful competitors such as Atlas Van Lines II and Miss Budweiser, was recreated in the semi-fictional film
MadisonMadison is a semi-fictional 2001 film about APBA hydroplane racing in the 1970s. It stars James Caviezel as a driver who comes out of retirement to lead the Madison, Indiana community-owned racing team.-Background:...
.
Education
Madison Consolidated Schools
- Madison Consolidated High School
The Madison Consolidated High School is a school, in Madison, Indiana, in the United States.-External References:*...
- Madison Consolidated Junior High School
- Ryker's Ridge Elementary School
- Anderson Elementary School
- Eggleston Elementary School (now closed, sold 2011)
- Lydia-Middleton Elementary School
- Canaan Elementary School (now closed,2010)
- Deputy Elementary School
- Dupont Elementary School
- E.O. Muncie Elementary School
Southwestern Schools
- Southwestern Junior and Senior High School
Southwestern High School is located in Hanover, Indiana. There are approximately 480 students in grades 9 through 12.-History:Southwestern High School was founded in 1960 with the consolidation of Saluda and Hanover high schools...
Prince of Peace Catholic Schools
- Shawe Memorial High School
Father Michael Shawe Memorial Jr./Sr. High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Madison, Indiana. It is run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis.- Founding :...
- Pope John XXIII Elementary School
Other Private Schools
- Christian Academy of Madison
Begun in 2007, Christian Academy of Madison is a non-denominational Christian school educating students enrolled in four-year-old kindergarten through 10th grade...
In popular culture
Two Hollywood films have been shot in Madison. In the fall of 1958 it was selected as the location for
Some Came RunningSome Came Running is a novel by James Jones, published in 1957. It is the story of a war veteran with literary aspirations who returns in 1948 to his hometown of Parkman, Indiana, after a failed writing career...
, which brought actors
Frank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
,
Dean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
and
Shirley MacLaineShirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
to town. In 2001, the city was both the subject and location for the film
MadisonMadison is a semi-fictional 2001 film about APBA hydroplane racing in the 1970s. It stars James Caviezel as a driver who comes out of retirement to lead the Madison, Indiana community-owned racing team.-Background:...
.
For Some Came Running, director
Vincente MinnelliVincente Minnelli was an American stage director and film director, famous for directing such classic movie musicals as Meet Me in St. Louis, The Band Wagon, and An American in Paris. In addition to having directed some of the most famous and well-remembered musicals of his time, Minnelli made...
selected Madison in 1958 to represent the fictional Parkman, Indiana in filming the
James JonesJames Jones was an American author known for his explorations of World War II and its aftermath.-Life and work:...
novel. On September 3, 1999, the community held an organized celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of the making of the film, which itself became the subject of a film documentary by
Turner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
.
Madison recounts the story of the city's hosting and winning the penultimate
hydroplane racingHydroplane racing is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.-International Professional Outboard Hydroplane Racing:...
event of 1971, echoing the movie Hoosiers.
Notable residents
- George Benson
George Benson was a professional American football halfback. He was a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the All-America Football Conference....
, professional football player
- James Graham Brown
James Graham Brown was an American businessman and real estate developer best known as the builder of the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky and for his philanthropy. Born in Madison, Indiana, he moved to Louisville in 1903 and founded, with his brother and father, the W.P. Brown and Sons Lumber...
, Entrepreneur, philanthropist
- Francis Costigan
Francis Costigan was an early Indiana architect known primarily for his work in Madison, Indiana and Indianapolis....
, architect
- Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne was an American film actress and singer of the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. Dunne was nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performances in Cimarron , Theodora Goes Wild , The Awful Truth , Love Affair and I Remember Mama...
, five-time Academy Award-nominee for best actress
- James F.D. Lanier
James Franklin Doughty Lanier was a entrepreneur who lived in Madison, Indiana prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War . Lanier became a wealthy banker with interests in pork packing, the railroads, and real-estate.-Biography:James Lanier was born in 1800 in Beaufort County, North Carolina...
, chartered the State Bank of Indiana in 1833; hired Francis Costigan to design and build the Lanier MansionThe Lanier Mansion is the 1844 Greek Revival home of James F. D. Lanier, located at 601 West First Street in the Madison Historic District of Madison, Indiana. The home was designed by architect Francis Costigan of Madison....
- Jeremiah C. Sullivan
Jeremiah Cutler Sullivan was an Indiana lawyer, antebellum United States Navy officer, and a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was among a handful of former Navy officers who later served as infantry generals during the war.-Early life and career:Jeremiah C....
, attorney, American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
general in the Union ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
- William McKendree Snyder
William McKendree Snyder was an American painter active in Indiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries best known for detailed Indiana landscapes. He was one of the first artists to paint in Brown County, Indiana making him a forerunner of the Brown County Art Colony.He was born in Liberty,...
, artist
- Tommy Thevenow
Thomas Joseph Thevenow was a professional baseball player who played shortstop in the Major Leagues from 1924–1938. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Bees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals during his career...
, major league baseball player from 1924–1938
Bryan Bullington, professional baseball player, picther
See also
- List of cities and towns along the Ohio River
- Lanier Mansion
The Lanier Mansion is the 1844 Greek Revival home of James F. D. Lanier, located at 601 West First Street in the Madison Historic District of Madison, Indiana. The home was designed by architect Francis Costigan of Madison....
, an 1844 Greek Revival home
- Madison Historic District
- Murder of Shanda Sharer
The murder of Shanda Renee Sharer involved a 12-year-old girl who was tortured and burned to death in Madison, Indiana by four teenage girls...
External links