Named after
JAMES MADISON
(1751-1836), fourth President of the
United States, and Father of the U.
S. Constitution, Madison County was
established in 1812 out of Randolph
and St. Clair Counties, before
Illinois became a state on December 3, 1818.
At the time it was established,
Madison encompassed the majority of
the Illinois Territory. All of
Illinois north of the current
southern boundary of Madison County
between the Mississippi and Wabash
Rivers was part of the county. In
1814, the formation of Edwards
County removed almost half of the
eastern part, and the final boundary
change came in 1843, when a small
portion on the northeast corner of
Madison County became part of Bond
County.
Madison
County is the home of the
Cahokia Mounds
Historic Site -- the most sophisticated
prehistoric native civilization
north of Mexico that had its peak of
power in circa 1100-1200 A.D. The
site is named for the Cahokia, a sub
tribe of the Illini Nation.
Also prominent in the history of
Madison County is the Legend of
the
Piasa Bird, whose painting
was found by Marquette and
Joliet on their expedition
through the area in 1675. A
painting of the bird can be
found on the bluffs, just west
of Alton.
The county seat
is Edwardsville. In
the late 1800s, Madison County
became an industrial powerhouse, and
in the 20th century, was known for
first, Graniteware, and later, its
steel mills, oil refineries, and
other heavy industry. In the year
1900, the population of Madison was
64,694. In 2006, the population was
265,303 [Source: Wikipedia.org].
For more county history
click here.
