Madison

Located about halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, the town of Madison, Georgia, grew from a settlement that was originally part of Baldwin County. Incorporated in 1809, Madison was named in honor of Pres. James Madison, who was in office at the time. Madison has the distinction of being widely known as the town Sherman refused to burn. Although the railroad depot, some public buildings, and some outlying plantations actually were burned by the Union army, the homes of Madison were spared thanks to the intercession of Madison resident Joshua Hill, a former US senator who was opposed to secession. Most of Madisons homes from that era still stand today, making its historic district the second-largest in Georgia. More recently, in 2001, Madison was voted the No. 1 Small Town in America by Travel Holiday magazine.

Marcia Brooks and Kittie Mayfield were raised in Morgan County and attended schools in Madison. They have assembled photographs from a variety of individual sources and repositories to tell Madison's story in pictures. Many of the images are provided courtesy of the Morgan County Archives. Other sources include the Morgan County Library and Morgan County High School.