Madison County, Georgia

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Madison County
County
Madison County Courthouse.JPG
Madison County Courthouse in Danielsville
Map of Georgia highlighting Madison County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia in United States.svg
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°08′N83°13′W / 34.13°N 83.21°W / 34.13; -83.21
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg Georgia
FoundedDecember 5, 1811;213 years ago (1811-12-05)
Named after James Madison
Seat Danielsville
Largest city Comer
Area
 • Total
286 sq mi (740 km2)
 • Land282 sq mi (730 km2)
 • Water3.3 sq mi (9 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
30,120
 • Estimate 
(2024)
32,771 Increase2.svg
 • Density110/sq mi (41/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 9th
Website www.madisoncountyga.us

Madison County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,120. [1] The county seat is Danielsville. [2] The county was created on December 5, 1811. The county's largest city is Comer with a population of 1,200. Madison County was included in the Athens–Clarke County metropolitan area, which is included in the Atlanta–Athens–Clarke County–Sandy Springs CSA.

Contents

History

Madison County was organized by an act of the General Assembly of Georgia on December 11, 1811. It was named for James Madison, [3] who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. It was the 38th county formed in Georgia, and began to function as a county in 1812. Madison County was formed from the counties of Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Jackson, Oglethorpe. [4]

Early agriculture in Madison County was devoted to food crops and livestock (cattle, hogs, and sheep), which were sufficient to feed the population. Just after the Civil War ended, the demand for a cash crop led to major reliance on cotton. [5] The soils of Madison County were heavily damaged by this cotton monoculture. From the 1930s on, agriculture became more diverse. Today, agribusiness dominates the local economy, with poultry production particularly important.

Madison and Oglethorpe counties share Watson Mill Bridge State Park, the site of the longest covered bridge in Georgia. The bridge, which is over 100 years old, spans 229 feet of the South Fork of the Broad River. There are also facilities for camping, hiking trails, picnicking, and fishing in the park.

The Madison County Courthouse, one of the most ornate in Georgia, was built in 1901 for the sum of $18,314. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. New Hope Presbyterian Church, established in 1788, is the third oldest church in Georgia. [6]

Lt. Col. Lemuel Penn, a decorated veteran of World War II and a United States Army Reserve officer, was murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan on July 11, 1964, nine days after passage of the Civil Rights Act, on a Broad River bridge on the Georgia State Route 172 in Madison County. [7] [8]

Postal history

In 1879, there were only four post offices in Madison County: Danielsville, Fort Lamar, Madison Springs and Paoli. [9] In 1889, Madison county had post offices at Carlton, Danielsville, Dowdy, Fort Lamar, Gholston (Gholston's Stand), Hix, Ila, Madison Springs, Medicus, Paoli and Planter. [10]

By 1900, additional post offices had been opened in Alvin, Berea, Boggs, Carruth, Comer, Fiveforks (now Comer), Jeptha, Larkin, Monitor, Neese, Pocataligo and Sorrells, while the offices in Gholston and Medicus had been closed. [11] By 1910, most of these post offices had closed; the only remaining ones were in Carlton, Colbert, Comer, Danielsville and Hull. [12]

By 1920, the office in Ila had reopened. [13] The county would retain these six post offices into the 21st century. [14]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 286 square miles (740 km2), of which 282 square miles (730 km2) is land and 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2) (1.1%) is water. [15]

The vast majority of Madison County is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin, with just a very small portion of the county's western edge located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. [16]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1820 3,735—
1830 4,64624.4%
1840 4,510−2.9%
1850 5,70326.5%
1860 5,9334.0%
1870 5,227−11.9%
1880 7,97752.6%
1890 11,02438.2%
1900 13,22420.0%
1910 16,85127.4%
1920 18,80311.6%
1930 14,921−20.6%
1940 13,431−10.0%
1950 12,238−8.9%
1960 11,246−8.1%
1970 13,51720.2%
1980 17,74731.3%
1990 21,05018.6%
2000 25,73022.2%
2010 28,1209.3%
2020 30,1207.1%
2024 (est.)32,771 [17] 8.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [18]
1790-1880 [19] 1890-1910 [20]
1920-1930 [21] 1930-1940 [22]
1940-1950 [23] 1960-1980 [24]
1980-2000 [25] 2010 [26]
Madison County racial composition as of 2020 [27]
RaceNum.Perc.
White 23,54978.18%
Black or African American 2,7539.14%
Native American 440.15%
Asian 5211.73%
Pacific Islander 40.01%
Other/Mixed 1,2934.29%
Hispanic or Latino 1,9566.49%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,120 people, 10,744 households, and 8,153 families residing in the county.

Government

The citizens of Madison County are represented by an elected six member board of commissioners. Each commissioner represents one of five districts plus a chairman of the board elected at large for the whole county.

United States presidential election results for Madison County, Georgia [28]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1912 131.80%56478.01%14620.19%
1916 191.32%1,24186.12%18112.56%
1920 28128.85%69371.15%00.00%
1924 12117.64%50473.47%618.89%
1928 52752.65%47447.35%00.00%
1932 381.75%2,12497.88%80.37%
1936 39318.73%1,69780.89%80.38%
1940 18513.61%1,16085.36%141.03%
1944 26517.64%1,23582.22%20.13%
1948 624.31%1,16080.61%21715.08%
1952 22510.59%1,89989.41%00.00%
1956 1616.76%2,22293.24%00.00%
1960 2057.82%2,41892.18%00.00%
1964 1,19033.70%2,34166.30%00.00%
1968 60016.00%62216.58%2,52967.42%
1972 2,60682.00%57218.00%00.00%
1976 1,11524.88%3,36775.12%00.00%
1980 2,33043.14%2,98055.17%911.68%
1984 3,76869.04%1,69030.96%00.00%
1988 3,72469.10%1,63930.41%260.48%
1992 3,35148.61%2,39334.72%1,14916.67%
1996 3,99253.40%2,57134.39%91312.21%
2000 5,52969.17%2,28528.59%1792.24%
2004 7,25473.60%2,52725.64%750.76%
2008 8,22672.38%2,96526.09%1741.53%
2012 8,44375.84%2,49422.40%1961.76%
2016 9,20176.16%2,42520.07%4553.77%
2020 11,32675.78%3,41122.82%2081.39%
2024 12,95176.86%3,75322.27%1470.87%

Education

Madison County public education is served by the Madison County School District. The Madison County Board of Education oversees and operates the public charter school system in the School District. Madison County Board of Education operates 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 high school and 1 career academy.

The Madison County Board of Education is overseen by 5 elected board members, from 5 districts in the county. The Board appoints a School Superintendent who works at the pleasure of the Board as a whole.

The district has 290 full-time teachers and over 4,621 students.

Public Schools

  • Colbert Elementary School
  • Comer Elementary School
  • Danielsville Elementary School
  • Hull-Sanford Elementary School
  • Ila Elementary School
  • Madison County Middle School (MCMS), Home of the Mustangs
  • Madison County High School (MCHS), Home of the Red Raiders
  • Broad River College and Career Academy

Private schools

Notable people

Historic sites

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Census - Geography Profile: Madison County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p.  196.
  4. ↑ Berryman, Mary Love (November 29, 2002). "MADISON COUNTY, GEORGIA - 1938". USGenWeb Archives. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  5. ↑ David D. Long (1921). "Soil Survey of Madison County, Georgia" (PDF). Nrcs.usda.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Ila". Georgia.gov. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ Alschuler, Albert W. (February 1995). "Racial Quotas and the Jury". Duke Law Journal . 44 (4). Duke University School of Law: 704–743. doi:10.2307/1372922. JSTOR   1372922.
  8. ↑ Thompson, Jim (July 11, 2004). "Highway 172 revisited". Athens Banner-Herald .
  9. ↑ "Post Offices in the United States, December 1, 1879, Arranged by States and Counties." United States Official Postal Guide. Houghton, Osgood and Company, 1880. p. 331.
  10. ↑ "Post Offices in the United States, December 1, 1889, Arranged by States and Counties." United States Official Postal Guide. The Brodix Publishing Company, 1890. p. 478.
  11. ↑ "Post Offices in the United States, December 1, 1900, With Stations and Sub-stations, Arranged by States and Counties." United States Official Postal Guide. George F. Lasher, Printer, 1901. p. 615.
  12. ↑ "Post Offices and Branch Post Offices, Arranged by States and Counties, June 1, 1910." United States Official Postal Guide. J. B. Lyon Printers, 1910. p. 580.
  13. ↑ "County List: Post Offices and Branch Post Offices, June 1, 1920." United States Official Postal Guide. The Post Office Department, 1920. p. 680.
  14. ↑ Madison County, Georgia, at PostOfficeFinder.org. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  15. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  17. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  19. ↑ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  20. ↑ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2024.
  21. ↑ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  22. ↑ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  23. ↑ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  24. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  25. ↑ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  26. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  28. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 21, 2018.

34°08′N83°13′W / 34.13°N 83.21°W / 34.13; -83.21

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