Madison Historical Society, Madison, Ohio

08/05/2026

We stumbled across a few pictures in an envelope today, all taken in 1957. The first six are all on West Main in the village, and the last picture is on Middle Ridge in the township.

07/26/2026

Did you happen to notice our new sign? Dr. Bob Barr commissioned and designed our beautiful new sign. We love it, and appreciate his kindness to us!

07/02/2026

With the upcoming July 4th celebrations and America 250 observances, it's important to remember Madison has a number of settlers who served in the Revolutionary War. To learn more about these men and how they came to Madison, check out our latest blog at madisonohiohistoricalsociety.org/revolutionary-war-veterans-of-madison/

05/27/2026

Madison's old Exchange Bank, at 63 West Main. Does anybody remember a business at this location in the later 1960's, possibly 1970's, called the Bristol Blue Bazaar? You were all so helpful with DreamHaven, we'd love your feedback on this!

05/27/2026

The bridge spanning the Grand River, from Madison to South Madison, wasn't always the easy, straight, smooth trip we have today. In Jesse Devin's latest blog, read how a small group of Madison women worked together to bring a high-level bridge to Madison at madisonohiohistoricalsociety.org/news/

05/21/2026

We'd recently had a question about Dream Haven in North Madison. We have no information about it, other than this undated photo depicts the entrance to the private residence there. Does anyone remember any of the history of Dream Haven? We'd love to know!

05/21/2026

Memorial Day is a solemn day of remembrance for military personnel who died in service, particularly those killed in battle or from battle-related injuries. Before you tag every veteran and service member on Facebook and wish them a "happy" Memorial Day, remember that, in this community, Memorial Day means something much bigger than the start of summer. The day feels fraught with memories of those we've lost, mixed with gratitude for the times we've had.
On May 5, 1868, as the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, the dominant organization of Union veterans, Major General John A. Logan issued General Orders No. 11, naming May 30 of each year to serve as a remembrance by its members “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.”
Many communities in pockets throughout the North and the South had already started honoring their war dead in the years during and immediately following the American Civil War. Approximately 25 cities and towns—including two named Columbus: one in Mississippi, one in Georgia—claim to have originated the holiday that was first called Decoration Day. The earliest claim to Memorial Day is an 1864 observance in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. A teenager mourning her Union Army father and a mother honoring her son who fell at Gettysburg laid flowers on their graves and began an annual town tradition. The first large Memorial Day was likely held in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 1, 1865. According to newspaper reports, a crowd of 10,000 recently freed Black people and other locals gathered at a racetrack to honor 250 Union Army soldiers who had died there while being held as prisoners of war. The commemoration included a parade, flowers, music and readings from the Bible.
In 1888, Congress made May 30th a holiday in the District of Columbia, and in 1950 the House and Senate passed a joint resolution calling on the president to “issue a proclamation designating May 30, Memorial Day, as a day for a nation-wide prayer for peace.” President Lyndon B. Johnson finally did so in 1968, setting the recognition to begin in 1971 and adjusting the date to be the last Monday in May.

04/08/2026

How well do you know ‘old’ Madison? We mean really, really, old Madison. For instance, do you know where the following locations are today?
Adams Corner
Chapel Corners
Tilden’s Hollow
Turney’s Corners

How about these streets, that have been re-named? Any idea what the street names are today?
North Street
Factory Street
Platt Road
Thompson Street/Road

Looking at old records and accounts of Madison History, we’ve found references to these streets/locations. Care to take a guess? If you have other locations we can add to our database, we’d love to know!

03/24/2026

If you have Revolutionary War Veteran ancestors here in Ohio, now's the time to make sure they're accounted for!

🇺🇸 Revolutionary War Veteran Graves Project Update 🇺🇸

The collection portal for the Revolutionary War Veteran Graves Project is closing soon—and we need your help to finish strong.

We still have over 3,700 veterans left to record before the deadline on May 4, 2026. After that, all submissions will be reviewed and verified, with final results set to be published by July 4, 2026.

To make it easier to get involved, we’ve teamed up with the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) to launch the SAR Ohio Cemeteries Dashboard:
(https://ohpo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/a6fa6d6dbbf64df5ba2b7a4174f1dfeb).

This powerful tool helps you find cemeteries near you. Compare the cemeteries to the Live Results Dashboard: (https://ohpo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6c0513ba52704005b71e1783a00be8f0)
to see what still needs recorded in your area!

Whether you're a history buff, genealogist, or just looking for a meaningful outdoor activity—this is your chance to make an impact.

👟 Grab your hiking boots
📸 Document gravesites via Survey123 on your smart phone
📝 Help preserve the legacy of our nation’s earliest patriots

Every grave recorded brings us one step closer to honoring those who fought for our independence.

Get started today and be part of something lasting!