Madison Township, Daviess County, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Madison Township is one of ten townships
in Daviess County, Indiana
. As of the 2000 census
, its population was 2,793.
. The original name was used for twelve years; in 1835, residents supported a petition to change the township's name to "Madison", and the county commissioners granted their request.
Among the township's leading nineteenth-century residents was one Ben Perkins, a mulatto
; despite the prevailing sentiments of the time, he was well regarded in the community. Living at a time when only whites held the franchise, he regularly voted the Whig
ticket without being challenged. In the 1856 spring elections, the Know Nothing
movement was popular in Madison Township, and the Democrats
nominated Perkins for township clerk; to their surprise, he won, and his actions in office won him the reputation of one of the best clerks the township ever had. To the even greater surprise of local Democratic leaders, Perkins refused to vote the party line in the presidential election
of that autumn, instead supporting John C. Frémont
, the Republican
candidate.
Township (United States)
A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....
in Daviess County, Indiana
Daviess County, Indiana
Daviess County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 31,648. The county seat is Washington. Daviess County switched to the Central Time Zone on April 2, 2006. It has returned to the Eastern Time Zone as of November 4, 2007.- History :Daviess County was...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, its population was 2,793.
History
Madison Township was organized in 1823 and given the name of "Wallace Township". It had first been settled about two years before; the first pioneer was Baldwin Howard, whose initial residence was about 1 miles (1.6 km) south of the present town of OdonOdon, Indiana
Odon is a town in Madison Township, Daviess County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,354 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Odon is located at ....
. The original name was used for twelve years; in 1835, residents supported a petition to change the township's name to "Madison", and the county commissioners granted their request.
Among the township's leading nineteenth-century residents was one Ben Perkins, a mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
; despite the prevailing sentiments of the time, he was well regarded in the community. Living at a time when only whites held the franchise, he regularly voted the Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
ticket without being challenged. In the 1856 spring elections, the Know Nothing
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
movement was popular in Madison Township, and the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominated Perkins for township clerk; to their surprise, he won, and his actions in office won him the reputation of one of the best clerks the township ever had. To the even greater surprise of local Democratic leaders, Perkins refused to vote the party line in the presidential election
United States presidential election, 1856
The United States presidential election of 1856 was an unusually heated contest that led to the election of James Buchanan, the ambassador to the United Kingdom. Republican candidate John C. Frémont condemned the Kansas–Nebraska Act and crusaded against the expansion of slavery, while Democrat...
of that autumn, instead supporting John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
, the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate.
Geography
Madison Township covers an area of 36.79 square miles (95.3 km²); 0.05 square mile (0.1294994055 km²) (0.14 percent) of this is water.Adjacent townships
- Taylor Township, Greene CountyTaylor Township, Greene County, IndianaTaylor Township is one of fifteen townships in Greene County, Indiana, USA. At the 2000 census, its population was 1,124.-Geography:Taylor Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.24 percent is water...
(northeast) - Perry Township, Martin CountyPerry Township, Martin County, IndianaPerry Township is one of six townships in Martin County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,960.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Perry Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Unincorporated towns:* Bramble at * Burns City at *...
(southeast) - Van Buren TownshipVan Buren Township, Daviess County, IndianaVan Buren Township is one of ten townships in Daviess County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,960.-History:Van Buren Township was organized in September 1841; the last township to be formed in Daviess County, it was created in response to a petition circulated among residents...
(south) - Bogard TownshipBogard Township, Daviess County, IndianaBogard Township is one of ten townships in Daviess County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,189.-History:Bogard Township was organized on 9 May 1820. Among its earliest settlers was North Carolina native Elias Myers, who arrived in 1816 and purchased of land in the following...
(southwest) - Elmore TownshipElmore Township, Daviess County, IndianaElmore Township is one of ten townships in Daviess County, Indiana, USA. At the 2000 census, its population was 1,235.-History:Elmore Township was organized on 13 August 1821 from the northern part of Bogard Township...
(west) - Cass Township, Greene CountyCass Township, Greene County, IndianaCass Township is one of fifteen townships in Greene County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 392.-Geography:Cass Township covers an area of ; of this, or 2.71 percent is water...
(northwest)