IMAGES From Nostalgiaville
INDIANA- MADISON, IN- 4/26/06

MADISON, INDIANA

The 4th of July is celebrated in Madison with fireworks and the firepower of unlimited hydroplane racing.  Fast and furious racing marks the Indiana Governor's Cup, with boats reaching speeds of 200 MPH.  The earliest power boat regatta at Madison took place in 1911.  Power launches ran an oval track around the steamship "Princess" from Coney Island.

REGATTA

Although Madisonians are used to the ups and downs of the river, 1937 marked the year of the worst recorded flood in Ohio River history, enveloping the city below First Street.  The high water mark is indicated on the southwest corner of the Brown Gymnasium on Broadway.

FLOOD OF 1937

 This structure was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) on the site of the Trow Flower Mill, destroyed in the 1937 flood.  The pool opened May 28, 1939, with thousands in attendance to view the shell shaped pool, sandy beach, water slides and diving boards.  Still in use, the pool has undergone little change since its construction.

CRYSTAL BEACH

In 1901, Madison held its first Chautauqua, a week-long festival which included revivals, music, and political debates.  Famous personalities, such as William Jennings Bryan, came to town as guest lecturers and brought news of the nation and world.  The Madison Chautauqua is now a fine arts show held the last weekend in September.

CAHUTAUQUA

Madison has long been visited by sternwheelers traveling up and down the Ohio River.  Packet boats served to move mail and people, taking residents to Louisville or Cincinnati for special outings as late as the early 20th century.  Steamboat whistles and calliopes still bring residents running to the river, and announce visitors to the community.

STERNWHEELERS

Madison's Historic District, the largest in the State, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  It offers a rare collection of architectural styles.  Its streetscape is largely unchanged over 150 years.  Madison was chosen for the National Trust's Main Street Pilot Project in 1976 and boasts an active downtown.

MADISON'S HISTORIC AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

MADISON HISTORIC DISTRICT

In 1899, a group of ladies known as the Bethany Circle of the King's Daughters, began a hospital in a house on the Presbyterian Street site where the modern hospital stands today.  the original building was donated by Drusilla Cravens, a descendant of the Lanier family.  Among the early documented patients was an itinerant circus performer.

KING'S DAUGHTER'S HOSPITAL

Madison has long been visited by sternwheelers traveling up and down the Ohio River.  Packet boats served to move mail and people, taking residents to Louisville or Cincinnati for special outings as late as the early 20th century.  Steamboat whistles and calliopes still bring residents running to the river, and announce visitors to the community.

STERNWHEELERS

THE BROADWAY FOUNTAIN

Madison and the surrounding county is considered picture perfect as a film production location.  In 1841, the U S War Department filmed "The Town" to boost military morale.  In 1958, Hollywood filmed "Some Came Running" and "Madison" in 1999.  Irene Dunne, screen star of the 1930's lived here in her youth, in a home on W Second Street.

HOLLYWOOD COMES TO MADISON