Madison County, Georgia Genealogy and History - Presented by Genealogy Trails History Group

Madison county, was laid out from Oglethorpe, Clarke, Jackson, Franklin and Elbert counties in 1881. It was enlarged by the addition of a part of Clarke in 1813; parts of Elbert and Franklin in 1819; a part of Franklin in 1823; of Clarke in 1829; and of Oglethorpe in 1831. It was named for James Madison, fourth president of the United States. It lies in the northeastern part of the state and is bounded by Franklin and Banks counties on the north, Hart on the northeast, Elbert on the east, Oglethorpe on the south, Clarke on the southwest and Jackson on the west. Several streams flow across the surface and the soil along their courses is very fertile. Corn, wheat, oats, rye, sweet and Irish potatoes, field and ground peas and some cotton are raised. Tobacco with proper attention, does well, and all kinds of vegetables, fruits and berries thrive. The forests consist of the long leaf pine and various hardwoods common to the section. Gold has been found in Broad river, and iron, granite and quartz are common. The water-power is excellent but little is used. The Seaboard Air Line, and the Smithsonia, Danielsville and Carnesville railroads give good facilities for transportation. Danielsville is the county seat, Carlton, Comer, Dowdy, Colbert, Fort Lamar and Paoli are other towns. The population of the county in 1900 was 13,224, a gain of 2,200 since the census of 1890.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906. Transcribed by Joanne Morgan)