The
History of Madison, Alabama
The
first known settler in what was to become
the City of Madison, Alabama, was John Cartwright,
who came here in 1818. He came to the
Tennessee Valley, part of the area then known
as the Mississippi Territory, and liked what
he saw. Cartwright received a land grant
from the federal government in a place that
would first be called Madison Station, then
just Madison. Later, the Cartwright property
would be sold to the Palmer family, and be
known as "the Palmer place."
The
history of Madison as a town actually began
in 1856 when tracks were laid by the Memphis
and Charleston Railroad company. In 1858,
a Judge Clemons was among the original landowners
here. He planned the town lots fronting on
the railroad, each of which measured 66' x
198'. A depot was constructed
on one of Clemons' lots and a house was built
for T.J. Clay, who was the first station agent.
As
more families moved into this fertile region,
merchants were attracted and a business district
founded on what was to become Main Street.
The first business was a saw and grist mill
operated by J.J. Akers, and S.D. Doolittle
opened a blacksmith shop. Other early merchants
were Walter and Thomas Hopkins and James Bibb.
During
the War Between the States, growth was brought
virtually to a standstill, and one battle,
referred to as "The Affair at Madison Station,"
was fought on local soil. The battle took
place on May 17, 1864, when the federal soldiers
took over the railroad, which was on a direct
route for men and supplies to be shipped to
Georgia.
According
to records kept by the Union soldiers, the
Confederates had 18 killed and 55 wounded,
and the Union had one killed, three wounded,
and 66 prisoners taken.
At
the end of the war, Madison began to flourish
once again. New businesses opened and in 1869
James Bibb and others filed a petition with
the County Probate Judge to incorporate. At
that time, the word "Station" was dropped
and the town became Madison.
By
1980, the city had a population of 4,000 residents.
The population had grown to 14,907 by 1990.
Today, Madison is one of the fastest growing
cities in the southeastern United States,
with one of the highest per capita incomes.
The
population is currently estimated at 36,500
and the retail sector continues to grow, allowing
the city to expand and improve public facilities
and the infrastructure. |
|
From
Forbes Magazine
Saturday,
November 15, 2008
By BRIAN LAWSON
Times Business Writer brian.lawson@htimes.com
Forbes cites ease of commute, good housing prices
Affordable
housing, job openings and low property taxes make
Madison County the country's top place to live while
weathering the economic downturn, according to a
new Forbes report.
The
magazine liked the ease of commuting to the Huntsville
job market, the diverse local economy and a housing
affordability index well above the national average.
Brian Hilson, president of the Huntsville/Madison
County Chamber of Commerce, said Forbes' credibility
helps bolster the community's image and underscores
what the chamber tells business prospects.
"It's exactly the type of attention that competitive
communities highly value," Hilson said Friday.
"Especially when it points out advantages like
business stability, cost of living and the low cost
of doing business.
"I'm not surprised, because our expectation
is Huntsville and this North Alabama region is in
an excellent position to weather this economic downturn."
The Forbes list focused on suburbs of cities where
the job market is relatively strong. The list includes
suburbs of Little Rock, Denver, Kansas City, Houston
and Des Moines.
The Forbes top 10 rankings: Madison County, AL;
Pulaski County, Ark.; Adams County, Colo.; Greenville
County, S.C.; Jefferson Parish, La.; Polk City,
Iowa; Mobile County; Montgomery County, Texas; and
Johnson City, Kansas.
Madison County has mostly avoided the hard times
facing the U.S. economy. The national unemployment
rate was 6.1 percent in September and 6.5 percent
in October; Madison County's jobless rate was 3.8
percent in September, the most recent period for
state and local figures.
The county also stands out for low property taxes,
with a median tax bill of $577. Among the other
cities listed in the Forbes top 10, only two, Jefferson
Parish, a suburb of New Orleans with an annual property
tax bill of $308, and Mobile County at $454, had
lower taxes.
Every other city on the list had a substantially
higher tax bill than Madison County's.
Income and housing prices make up the affordability
index. A score of 100 means the median income of
that area is sufficient to buy a home. The higher
the income, relative to housing prices, the higher
the index figure.
Huntsville-Madison County had an affordability index
score of 221, according to Forbes. No other community
in the top 10 reached 200, with the closest being
Pulaski County, Ark., at 194.
Hilson said the chamber is busy with a number of
economic development prospects, a far cry from the
doom and gloom in much of the country.
"Some of our key assets, like technology and
our technically trained and educated work force,
puts us in very good position to maintain a stable,
local and regional economy and continue to grow
it." |
