North Madison 1849

This account of North Madison was written by the editors of the Daily Banner.

Daily Banner Sept. 18, 1849 Thursday

NORTH Madison—On Sunday we visited this neighboring village, and were no less gratified than surprised to perceive the great and wonderful improvement that has taken place in its general appearance and businesses within the last twelve months.

Many very fine and comfortable dwellings have been built, and are now tenanted, and fifteen or twenty builders, of various dimensions, are now being erected. Several of these are large and commodious dwellings, and will, when they are finished, and the ample grounds by which they are surrounded shall be tastefully arranged and ornamented with shrubbery, add much to the beauty of the place.

The centre of the town is occupied by buildings for the shelter and protection of the locomotives and the various appurtenances belonging to the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad Company, together with numerous others used as foundries, forges, carpenter shops, and, in fact, by every branch of trade necessary for the construction of locomotives and cars.

These shops afford active and constant employment to a very large number of industrious and ingenious, mechanics, some of whom are buildings in various metals, some are planning and turning brass and copper, and others are engaged in dressing wood by the most improved machinery and in fashioning it into cars of almost every kind. The freight and burden cars that are used upon the road, and they are almost in numerable, are kept in complete repair, and the extent of these shops admit of all repairs, that may become necessary either from accident or wear, being substantially and promptly done.

The railroad company has exhibited a very laudable pride in the exertions it has to make render the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad as safe, durable, and permanent, as any other road in the United States. This has been accomplished by untiring energy and perseverance and the outlay of a heavy capital; but the immense business the road is now doing, and which it is inevitably destined to do in all time to come will amply reward the company for all its expenditure.

Branham & Elvin is the principal hotel. It is a very spacious brick building, exceedingly well arranged in all its departments, and containing fifty-six large, well ventilated, and light rooms, affording a beautiful view of the surrounding country. The dining room is one of the largest to be found anywhere in the county, and the crowded state of its neatly and well set tables is a most convincing evidence that the best fare is always provided by the ever attentive and gentlemanly proprietors for all their s guests and patrons. Adjoining the hotel is a large lot tastefully laid off and beautifully ornamented with the choicest flowers and plants of the rarest varieties, and appropriately set in shrubbery of nearly, ever species. Nowhere can a better or pleasanter hotel by found than the Branham House.

Immediately on the north of the town is a fine fresh-water pond, fed partly by clear springs from the land above. This pond, in winter and summer, affords an abundant supply of water for stock. It is conveyed down in pipes into the Branham House, the various foundries and shops of the railroad company, and the saw-mill. Thus the expense of cisterns and force-pumps that would be incurred were it not for the pond, is entirely saved. In additional to all this, the locomotives procure their supplies of water from this source.

The astonishing growth of North Madison will be the more astounding when it is generally known that its site, which but four or five years ago, was almost uninhabited, now contains an industrious and busy population of about one thousands souls. Altogether, it is the most business-like and flourishing village anywhere to be found.