Hometown, Maine
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Learn About Our Cozy Little Town.....
Situated along the shores of the Kennebec River in the foothills of Maine's Western mountains, Madison was incorporated on March 7, 1804 as Maine's 150th town.
How It All Began
Madison in 1894
Originally known as Barnardstown after the principal landowner Moses Barnard, it is said by some that Madison was later named for James Madison, who became US President five years later. The town has also been referred to as Madison Bridge and Norridgewock Falls according to the accounts of Emma Folsom Clark, Madison's early historian.
Main Street, July 4, 1903
Old Point Monument is a landmark of interest to every student of the history of New England and is of special interest to citizens of Madison for, here, within her bounds, cam the tragic end of the Norridgewock tribe of Abernaquois Indians who had for generations roamed this region unmolested.
The death of Reverend Father Sebastian Rasle and the wiping out of the Norridgewock Indians was due to warring between the English and the French to obtain the portion of land whereon the Indian settlement was located. The monument, erected in 1833 on the supposed site of the massacre by English troops, stands a silent reminder of the life and labors of a man whose only offense was devotion to the people he served.
Madison's Manufacturing
In 1903, Madison was described as one of the state's leading towns in amount and importance of our manufactured goods.
The Railroad and the Trolley
Manufacturing Investment Co, August 22, 1890
Everything came in by rail until WW II was over. When the freight came in, the first thing to be handled was the baggage car which handled the mail. The railroad also carried passengers as well as baggage and freight.
From 1895 to 1928, the Somerset Traction Company ran a trolley from Madison to Lakewood, and then to Skowhegan, providing an opportunity for people to enjoy Lakewood's attractions and to go back and forth to Skowhegan.
Lakewood
An important part of the community from the mid-1920's on was the Lakewood Players theater group which provided "plays which bear the stamp of Broadway approval", according to a 1920's Chamber of Commerce brochure. Set in Lakewood on the shore of Lake Wesserunsett, the theater hosted Broadway actors in a new play each week, with nightly performances in summer.
Lakewood Theater
