History of Madison County Florida
Madison County Florida was named in 1827 in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States. At the time Madison County was chartered it was billed as Florida's largest county. This took place long before Florida was admitted to the Union, in 1845. Since then, the county has been divided and the following were created from Madison County: Taylor, Lafayette and Dixie Counties. Madison County was a major hub on the migration southward of our ancestors from Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and all points northward. Many descendants of Florida's hardy pioneers find their ancestor probably tarried for a year or two in Madison County, before heading southward.
The photo is a picture post card of Downtown Madison circa 1930, from the Madison Collection at the Florida Memory Project
The city of Madison is the county seat. Cotton planters settled the town of Madison in 1838, though there were residents here before that. The county was established in 1827 and by 1850 the county population had grown to more than 5,000 people.
The world's largest long staple cotton gin was located in Madison before the boll weevil arrived in 1916, and wiped out the cotton industry. In the south, cotton truly was king, it is how most families made a living. The cotton years memories are preserved in a small park near the Amtrak railroad station in the south side of town. In the park is a 16-foot drive wheel for a 500 horse power engine that once pulled 65 gins in what was said to be the world's largest cotton processing plant.
The oldest house in town, still occupied, was built in 1849 and a small wooden Episcopal church, built in 1843, is still in use. In the center of Madison is the Wardlaw-Smith-Goza house, a stately mansion that dates from 1860 and served as a Confederate hospital during the War between the States.
This county website is available for adoption! To adopt this site, visit the FLGenWeb Project Counties site. a County Page.
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Neighboring Counties
- Hamilton County, Florida
- East, County Seat: Jasper
-
Jefferson
County, Florida
- West, County Seat: Monticello
-
Lafayette
County, Florida
- Southeast, County Seat: Mayo
-
Suwannee
County Florida
- Southeast, County Seat: Live Oak
- Taylor County,
Florida
- Southwest, County Seat: Perry
- Brooks County Georgia
- North, County Seat: Quitman
- Lowndes County, Georgia
- Northeast, County Seat: Valdosta
- Hamilton County, Florida
- East, County Seat: Jasper
- Jefferson County, Florida
- West, County Seat: Monticello
- Lafayette County, Florida
- Southeast, County Seat: Mayo
- Suwannee County Florida
- Southeast, County Seat: Live Oak
- Taylor County, Florida
- Southwest, County Seat: Perry
- Brooks County Georgia
- North, County Seat: Quitman
- Lowndes County, Georgia
- Northeast, County Seat: Valdosta
FLGenWeb Project
State Coordinator: Jeff Kemp | Asst. State Coordinator: Tricia Aanderud
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County Coordinator: Available for Adoption!