Madison History Facts and Timeline

(Madison, Wisconsin - WI, USA)



The origins of modern-day Madison history really start at the end of the 1820s. It was at this time when successful politician and land speculator James Doty (1799 to 1865) bought more than 400 hectares / 1,000 acres of land situated between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona.

This land around Madison was rather inhospitable, since it consisted mainly of swamps and dense woodland. However, Doty had a plan to create a sizeable city here, in this now famous 'Four Lakes' region.

A few years later, the territory of Wisconsin officially came into being and the legislative body immediately began to discuss potential sites for a capital city. James Doty campaigned tirelessly for his proposed settlement, bringing legislators and offering wild promises.


Wisconsin's State Capital is Born

Maps of the proposed city of Madison were carefully drawn to scale, with streets being patriotically named after the signatories of the 1787 Constitution of the United States. Doty decided that the city itself should take its name from the most famous of these signatories, the fourth US president, James Madison Jr. (1809 to 1817).

A vote was subsequently held to decide where the territory's capital should be located and Madison was the resounding winner, even though it was really only a city on paper at that stage. The voters decided that its setting in between the up-and-coming cities of Prairie du Chien (west) and Milwaukee (east) was especially strategic. Madison would also be well-placed for reaching the historic city of Green Bay (northeast) and the productive mining regions on the southwestern side of the state.

Planning, Infrastructure and a Capitol Building

The year of 1837 was an extremely important time in Madison history, since much building work was planned and carried out. Architects were employed to design a building to serve as the new Wisconsin Capitol (previously the temporary Capitol was erected in Belmont, while Madison was evolving). This second Capitol was completed in 1837, at the cost of just over US$55,000, and was soon heavily used for government meetings.

Madison was officially incorporated in 1846, with a population just topping 600 people. In the year 1848, the territory of Wisconsin joined the United States and Madison continued in its role as capital city. The University of Wisconsin was founded here in 1848 and is today home to more than 40,000 students.

The Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad arrived in the early 1850s and in 1856, Madison was incorporated as an actual city. By now, the city's population was close to 7,000 people and it was clear that a new State Capitol Building would soon be needed. Built on the same site from 1857 to 1869, this building was much grander and topped with a dome.

Following devastating fire damage at the beginning of the 20th century, the magnificent Wisconsin State Capitol of today was erected, costing over US$7 million. It was built between 1906 and 1917, and today is where you will find the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Governor's Office and the Wisconsin Legislature chambers.

The Mid-20th Century Onwards

Following the two World Wars and America's Great Depression in the 1930s, Madison has enjoyed many important dates and successes in Wisconsin history. In 1968, the world's very first successful bone marrow transplant took place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, while in 1975, university scientist Dr. Howard Martin Temin shared a Nobel Prize in 'Physiology or Medicine'.

During the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York State, Madison local Eric Heiden achieved a world-record breaking five gold medals, which were awarded for speed ice skating. He was proclaimed Wisconsin's 'best amateur athlete' and won the prestigious Sullivan Award.

In the late 1980s, the Wisconsin State Capitol began a major renovation project, which lasted 14 years and cost close to US$160 million. This ultimately converted the Capitol's interior into a more modern, workable space, whilst preserving the exterior architecture.