Madison Township, Daviess County, Indiana

Madison Township is one of ten townships in Daviess County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 2,840 and it contained 1,233 housing units.[3]

Madison Township
Township
Looking west on Highway 58 from U.S. 231, in Madison Township
Looking west on Highway 58 from U.S. 231, in Madison Township
Location of Madison Township in Daviess County
Location of Madison Township in Daviess County
Coordinates: 38°51′34″N 86°58′01″W
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyDaviess
Government
 • TypeIndiana township
Area
 • Total36.79 sq mi (95.3 km2)
 • Land36.64 sq mi (94.9 km2)
 • Water0.15 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation
[1]
614 ft (187 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total2,840
 • Density77.5/sq mi (29.9/km2)
FIPS code18-45936[2]
GNIS feature ID453590

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 mile (1.6 km) south of the present town of Odon. 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.[4]

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.[4]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of 36.79 square miles (95.3 km2), of which 36.64 square miles (94.9 km2) (or 99.59%) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.39 km2) (or 0.41%) is water.[3]

Cities and towns

Unincorporated towns

Adjacent townships

Major highways

Cemeteries

The township contains these cemeteries: Ferguson, Friendship, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Hill.

References
  1. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place -- 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  4. Fulkerson, A.O., ed. History of Daviess County Indiana: Its People, Industries, and Institutions. Bowen: Indianapolis, 1915, 277-278.
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