Madison County, Georgia Genealogy
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These pages are dedicated to the genealogy and history of Madison County, Georgia.  Many volunteers have contributed records and information that you will find helpful in researching your Madison County ancestors.   If you have records or information regarding Madison County that you would like to share, we welcome your contributions!  Please contact David Robertson if you have questions or information to share.

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The Old Madison County Courthouse
Danielsville, Georgia


Madison County was created on December 5, 1811 from areas of Elbert, Franklin, Clarke, Jackson and Oglethorpe Counties. 

Madison County History

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Madison County Population

1820     3,735
1830     4,646
1840     4,510
1850     5,703
1860     5,933
1870     5,227
1880     7,978
1890   11,024
1900   13,224
1910   16,851
1920   18,803
1930   14,921
1940   13,431
1950   12,238
1960   11,264
1970   13,517
1980   17,747
1990   21,050
2000   25,730


The area which is now Madison County was originally inhabited by the Creek and Cherokee Indians. By 1773, most of this land was ceded by the Cherokee Indians to the Colonial Governor of Georgia, opening the area to frontier settlement. Two large counties were formed out of this land; Wilkes County in 1777 and Franklin County in 1784.  After the American Revolution, settlers were encouraged to migrate to the new counties by the State’s Headright Grant system; each settler was granted acreage based on number of heads (wife, children, and slaves) in his family. Georgia’s Revolutionary War soldiers were also awarded bounty grants as payment for their loyal service. Several forts were built in Madison County -- Hillhouse Forge near Comer, Hillhouse Furnace near Rogers Mill, Jones Station (later named Fort Lamar), and Black Station near Black’s Creek and the Hudson River.

Wilkes and Franklin were soon divided into several smaller counties, and Madison was subsequently formed in 1811 from 281 square miles of Elbert, Franklin, Clarke, Jackson and Oglethorpe Counties, becoming Georgia’s 38th county. 

The earliest permanent settlement was in the Paoli area, settled mainly by pioneers from Virginia, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas. Madison County existed primarily as an agricultural community for most of its history. In 1860, 84% of the county’s population farmed. Farmers grew corn, beans and pumpkin at the start of the 19th century.   Eventually the agricultural base of the county began to diversify and cotton, beef, dairy and oats were grown. The soils of Madison County were heavily damaged by the cotton monoculture common in this region prior to the 1930s.  Presently, 23% of the land is considered prime agricultural land. Agribusiness dominates the local economy, with poultry and egg production particularly important.

Visit Madison County's Neighbors
Clarke Jackson Banks Franklin
Hart Oglethorpe Elbert

GAGenWeb


Madison County Coordinator
David Robertson

Georgia State Coordinator
Linda Blum-Barton

Thanks to Jeanne Arguelles & Tom Hammack for their previous work on Madison County GAGenWeb,
and to Mary Love Berryman for her work in the Madison County GAGenWeb Archives.

Compilation Copyright 1998 - Present by The GAGenWeb Project Team