Mapping and Research for Madison County, Indiana
Established in 1823 Madison County was named for the fourth president of
the United States, James Madison.
The earliest society in the area is the Adena-Hopewell peoples in late
prehistoric times. Sources date them as las as 200 B.C. with a legacy
of the Mounds State Park near Anderson.
During the first four years justice was administered from the City of
Pendleton, but Pendleton was never officially the county seat.
(www.savi.org/savii/comm_info). The City of Anderson was named the
county seat.
The city of Anderson is named for Chief William Anderson, whose mother
was a Delaware (Lenape) Indiana and whose father was of Swedish
descent. Chief Anderson's Native American name was Kikthawenund meaning "making a noise" or "causing to crack" and is spelled in a variety of ways.
Anderson has been called the following: including Anderson's Town,
Andersontown, Andersonton, Wapiminiskink (Chestnut Tree Place), White
Man's Grove, Heathen town Four Miles Away, Pittsburg on White River,
Queen City of the Gas Belt, Puncture Proof City, Band Capital of the
World, GMsville, In, West Point of General Motors, and finally Redbud
Capital.
Three Moravian missionaries settled in the county from 1801 to 1806, but
because of persecution from the "Shawnee Prophet" did not remain.
On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. With this
discovery, several factories rushed to locate here, lured by the
prospect of cheap energy. Anderson became the Queen City of the Gas
Belt, the Puncture-Proof City and the Pittsburg on the White River.
The natural gas wells which supplied the city with cheap energy began to
run out by 1912. Many of the industries moved to other locations, but
the Commercial Club (the early Chamber of Commerce) was able to persuade
the Remy Brothers to stay. Remy Electric Company was eventually bought
by General Motors and Expanded. No industry has been more important to
Anderson in the 20th century than the auto industry. Since the 1920's
the auto parts industry has employed more Andersonians than any other.
(www.and.lib.in.us/indianaroom/history/andersonhistory.shtml)
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