Madison, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Madison is a city in Madison County
, Mississippi
, USA
. The population was 14,691 at the 2000 census. The population is currently 16,930. It is part of the Jackson
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. It is currently the highest income city in the state. It is ranked the top city in Mississippi at http://www.areavibes.com/madison-ms/city-guide/
, the fourth President
of the United States
, grew up along a bustling railroad track in pre-Civil War Mississippi
. It began in 1856 when the Illinois Central Railroad
opened Madison Station, the forerunner of the city of Madison. Although nearby Madisonville, a settlement established along the stagecoach route on the Natchez Trace
, had a race track, two banks, a wagon factory and at least one hotel, its residents gradually moved to the new town. The little railroad community began to thrive, and Madisonville became extinct.
Like many railroad towns in the South
, Madison Station was a victim of the Union Army
during the Civil War
. Just 10 miles from the state capital of Jackson
, Madison Station was largely destroyed in 1863, after the July 18–22 siege of Jackson. No battles were fought in Madison County, but Major General Stephen D. Lee
concentrated his command in Madison Station during the month of February 1864. Stephen Lee would later become the first president of Mississippi State College (now Mississippi State University
).
The railroad continued to attract growth after the Civil War. In 1897, the Madison Land Company encouraged northerners to "Go South, and grow up with the country." Located in Chicago
, the land company’s interest in development prompted Madison to incorporate as a village, though the charter was later lost when regular elections were not held because of the failure of the "land boom".
The Madison Land Company offered prime land for as little as $3.00 an acre. It claimed that Mississippi had the lowest debt ratio in the United States at $19.00 per capita and that Mississippians were declared one-third healthier by "official figures" than people in New York
and Massachusetts
. The figures were quoted in the Madison Land Company's brochure by Bishop Hugh Miller Thompson, the second Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Mississippi and a Madison resident, who originally came from Wisconsin
.
After many years of court battles, the city limits expanded greatly in size in the late 2000s.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 13.7 square miles (35.5 km²), of which, 13.5 square miles (35 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.61%) is water.
Parks: Strawberry Patch Park
, Liberty Park
of 2000, there were 14,692 people, 5,189 households, and 4,249 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,090.0 people per square mile (420.8/km²). There were 5,316 housing units at an average density of 394.4 per square mile (152.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.23% White, 4.89% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races
, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.
There were 5,189 households out of which 48.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.0% were married couples
living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $71,266 (estimated at $105,485 in 2008), and the median income for a family was $77,202. Males had a median income of $54,358 versus $34,081 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $29,082. About 2.1% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
, Sweden
in 1995. The idea grew out of a meeting between Madison County economic development representatives and executives representing the Sollefteå-based forestry products company, Haglof, Inc., who were investigating the feasibility of opening a plant in Madison. This was further strengthened by local residents of Swedish extraction. Names such as Lindquist permeate the Greater Madison area.
Talks began, and a January 1997 video conference call between the two cities facilitated the meeting. Five months later, a delegation of over 30 members arrived in Madison to tour the city and to ratify the sister city relationship. During that visit, Haglöf, Inc. opened its new office and the Swedish company Mini Tube also announced plans to locate a facility in Madison.
A 34-member delegation from Madison flew to Sweden in May 1997 for a five-day tour of Sollefteå. They were interested in learning about the Swedish city's economic development efforts, cultural facilities, innovations in education and ability to attract visitors and businesses to the area. The delegation toured industrial sites, such as Haglöf Inc.’s facilities, an energy plant and a communications company. They also visited a forestry school and environmental center.
The [Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce South Central U.S.] was created as a result of this relationship and it not only serves Mississippi, but also Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee.
Family Circle partnered with On Board, a New York City research firm providing real estate and demographic data to assemble a list of 1,850 towns with populations between 15,000 and 150,000 and a large concentration of households with an average income of $65,000. From that number, 800 localities were selected based on family-friendly criteria, including cost of living, jobs, schools, health care, air quality, green space and crime rate. Family Circle assessed which towns best met those standards and ranked them according to state. The winners were selected from the highest-rated towns in the top 10 nationwide.
/Money Magazine listed Madison as the 56th best place to live in the United States.http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/snapshots/33502.html
. The Student/Teacher Ratio is 19:1.
In 2010, Tulane University
opened a satellite campus of its School of Continuing Studies. The campus is housed in a renovated wing of the former Madison Station Elementary School (Madison Ridgeland High School) campus.
Madison County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 74,674 people, 27,219 households, and 19,325 families residing in the county. The population density was 104 people per square mile . There were 28,781 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 14,691 at the 2000 census. The population is currently 16,930. It is part of the Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Jackson metropolitan area
The Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the central region of the U.S. state of Mississippi that covers five counties: Copiah, Hinds, Madison, Rankin, and Simpson. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 497,197...
. It is currently the highest income city in the state. It is ranked the top city in Mississippi at http://www.areavibes.com/madison-ms/city-guide/
History
Madison, named for James MadisonJames Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, the fourth President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, grew up along a bustling railroad track in pre-Civil War Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. It began in 1856 when the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
opened Madison Station, the forerunner of the city of Madison. Although nearby Madisonville, a settlement established along the stagecoach route on the Natchez Trace
Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace, also known as the "Old Natchez Trace", is a historical path that extends roughly from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers...
, had a race track, two banks, a wagon factory and at least one hotel, its residents gradually moved to the new town. The little railroad community began to thrive, and Madisonville became extinct.
Like many railroad towns in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, Madison Station was a victim of the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Just 10 miles from the state capital of Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Madison Station was largely destroyed in 1863, after the July 18–22 siege of Jackson. No battles were fought in Madison County, but Major General Stephen D. Lee
Stephen D. Lee
Stephen Dill Lee was an American soldier, planter, legislator, and author. He was the youngest Confederate lieutenant general during the American Civil War, and later served as the first president of Mississippi A&M College...
concentrated his command in Madison Station during the month of February 1864. Stephen Lee would later become the first president of Mississippi State College (now Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
).
The railroad continued to attract growth after the Civil War. In 1897, the Madison Land Company encouraged northerners to "Go South, and grow up with the country." Located in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the land company’s interest in development prompted Madison to incorporate as a village, though the charter was later lost when regular elections were not held because of the failure of the "land boom".
The Madison Land Company offered prime land for as little as $3.00 an acre. It claimed that Mississippi had the lowest debt ratio in the United States at $19.00 per capita and that Mississippians were declared one-third healthier by "official figures" than people in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The figures were quoted in the Madison Land Company's brochure by Bishop Hugh Miller Thompson, the second Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Mississippi and a Madison resident, who originally came from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
After many years of court battles, the city limits expanded greatly in size in the late 2000s.
Geography
Madison is located at 32°27′25"N 90°6′31"W (32.457061, −90.108583).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 13.7 square miles (35.5 km²), of which, 13.5 square miles (35 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.61%) is water.
Parks: Strawberry Patch Park
Strawberry Patch Park
Strawberry Patch Park is a city park in Madison, Mississippi. It contains a one-mile running track, a pond used for fishing, ducks, geese, and a playground. It is located at the intersection of St...
, Liberty Park
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14,692 people, 5,189 households, and 4,249 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,090.0 people per square mile (420.8/km²). There were 5,316 housing units at an average density of 394.4 per square mile (152.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.23% White, 4.89% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.
There were 5,189 households out of which 48.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $71,266 (estimated at $105,485 in 2008), and the median income for a family was $77,202. Males had a median income of $54,358 versus $34,081 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $29,082. About 2.1% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
Sister city
Madison officials first explored the possibility of creating a sister city relationship with SollefteåSollefteå
Sollefteå is a locality and the seat of Sollefteå Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 8,530 inhabitants in 2005.The earliest written account on Sollefteå is found in a script dating back to 1270. During this time the name of the village was given as De Solatum - a name that can be...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1995. The idea grew out of a meeting between Madison County economic development representatives and executives representing the Sollefteå-based forestry products company, Haglof, Inc., who were investigating the feasibility of opening a plant in Madison. This was further strengthened by local residents of Swedish extraction. Names such as Lindquist permeate the Greater Madison area.
Talks began, and a January 1997 video conference call between the two cities facilitated the meeting. Five months later, a delegation of over 30 members arrived in Madison to tour the city and to ratify the sister city relationship. During that visit, Haglöf, Inc. opened its new office and the Swedish company Mini Tube also announced plans to locate a facility in Madison.
A 34-member delegation from Madison flew to Sweden in May 1997 for a five-day tour of Sollefteå. They were interested in learning about the Swedish city's economic development efforts, cultural facilities, innovations in education and ability to attract visitors and businesses to the area. The delegation toured industrial sites, such as Haglöf Inc.’s facilities, an energy plant and a communications company. They also visited a forestry school and environmental center.
The [Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce South Central U.S.] was created as a result of this relationship and it not only serves Mississippi, but also Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee.
10 Best Towns for Families
In 2007, The City of Madison was selected by Family Circle magazine as one of the nation's "10 Best Towns for Families." The article appears in the magazine's August 2007 edition. The publication announced the results of its search to identify the best communities across the country that combine big-city opportunities with suburban charm, a blend of affordable housing, good jobs, top-rated schools, wide-open spaces and a lot less stress.Family Circle partnered with On Board, a New York City research firm providing real estate and demographic data to assemble a list of 1,850 towns with populations between 15,000 and 150,000 and a large concentration of households with an average income of $65,000. From that number, 800 localities were selected based on family-friendly criteria, including cost of living, jobs, schools, health care, air quality, green space and crime rate. Family Circle assessed which towns best met those standards and ranked them according to state. The winners were selected from the highest-rated towns in the top 10 nationwide.
CNN/Money Magazine
In 2005, CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
/Money Magazine listed Madison as the 56th best place to live in the United States.http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/snapshots/33502.html
Low Crime Rate
Based on the crime index at City Data.com, Madison has a lower crime rate than the average in United States cities.Education
The City of Madison is served by the Madison County School DistrictMadison County School District (Mississippi)
The Madison County School District is a public school district based in Flora, Mississippi .In addition to Flora, the district serves the cities of Ridgeland and Madison, a small portion of Jackson that lies in Madison County, the community of Camden, and most rural areas in Madison County.-High...
. The Student/Teacher Ratio is 19:1.
In 2010, Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
opened a satellite campus of its School of Continuing Studies. The campus is housed in a renovated wing of the former Madison Station Elementary School (Madison Ridgeland High School) campus.
Points of interest
- Simmons ArboretumSimmons ArboretumSimmons Arboretum is a arboretum in Madison, Mississippi, USA. It is city-owned, a work in progress, and open to the public. It is located at the eastern end of St. Augustine Drive south of the road at ....
- Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce South Central U.S.
- Chapel of the CrossChapel of the Cross (Mannsdale, Mississippi)The Chapel of the Cross is a historic Episcopal church in the Mannsdale area of Madison, Mississippi. The brick structure was built circa 1850–52. It is noted for its Gothic Revival architecture, which draws heavily from 14th-century English country churches...
in nearby Mannsdale is in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
Noted residents of Madison
- John Henry RogersJohn Henry RogersJohn Henry Rogers was a United States Congressman from Arkansas and United States federal judge.Rogers was born in Roxobel, North Carolina to Absalom Rogers and his wife Harriet Rice. He moved with his parents to Mississippi in 1852, settling near Madison Station...
, United States Congressman from Arkansas and a federal judge