Madison County, Missouri Genealogy

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History
Madison County, Missouri was organized 14 December 1818 by a legislative act which became effective 1 January 1819. The county was formed from parts of Cape Girardeau and Ste. (correct spelling) Genevieve Counties.

The county was named after President James Madison. Madison had been president until 1817, just shortly before the organization of the county, and was instrumental in facilitating the Louisiana Purchase, of which Madison County was a part.

Fredericktown is Madison County's county seat. The town is believed to have likely derived its name from the first name of one of the area's pioneer settlers, Capt. George Frederick Bollinger.

The earliest European settlement in Madison County was at Mine La Motte, located north of the county seat of Fredericktown. A primary motivation for early settlement was the potential for lead mining, and Mine La Motte became an early center for the manufacture of lead ammunition. Madison County is a part of the region of the state which is still referred to as the Lead Belt because of its intense mining activity in the past.

Another early Madison County settlement was the French Catholic village of St. Michaels, settled in 1799 and later absorbed into Fredericktown. German Reformed settlers from Bollinger County entered the area after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

The county's estimated 2004 population was 11,948.

Parent County
1818--Madison County was created 14 December 1818 from Cape Girardeau and Ste. Genevieve Counties. County seat: Fredericktown

Populated Places

 * Cobalt: ePodunk page | Wikipedia page
 * Fredericktown (county seat): ePodunk page | Wikipedia page
 * Junction City: ePodunk page | Wikipedia page
 * Marquand: ePodunk page | Wikipedia page

Unincorporated:


 * Castor Station: Wikipedia page
 * Millcreek: Wikipedia page
 * Mine La Motte: Wikipedia page
 * Oak Grove: Wikipedia page
 * Saco: Wikipedia page
 * Zion: Wikipedia page

Neighboring Counties

 * Bollinger (east)
 * Iron (west)
 * Perry (northeast)
 * St. Francois (north)
 * Wayne (south)

General
Note that many Madison County records are available on microfilm at the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City.


 * Missouri State Archives Guide to County and Municipal Records on Microfilm: Madison County (pdf)

1876 State Agricultural Census

 * 1876 State Agricultural Census: The census book is in the courthouse, Fredericktown, MO, and has been microfilmed by the State Archives, although this record appears to perhaps be incomplete. This is the only Missouri state census that has survived for Madison County.

Church

 * Tong, H.F., Historical Sketches of the Baptists of Southeast Missouri. St. Louis: National Baptist Publishing Company, 1888. (Google Books link with complete text)

Coroner
Madison County coroner's records from 1821 to 1890 are available on microfilm at the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City.

Court
One online source says that Madison County court records date back to 1827, but this is incorrect. Court records for the county as microfilmed by the State Archives are extant from as early as 1820, with territorial records dating back to 1810. See Missouri State Archives Guide to County and Municipal Records on Microfilm: Madison County (pdf).

Land
Madison County land records date back to 1819. See Missouri State Archives Guide to County and Municipal Records on Microfilm: Madison County (pdf).

Local Histories

 * Douglass, Robert Sidney, History of Southeast Missouri, Vol. 1. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1912. (Google Books link with complete text)

Maps

 * Fredericktown: Sanborn insurance maps (University of Missouri)
 * Marquand: Sanborn insurance maps (University of Missouri)
 * Plats, 1873-1997, for Madison County are available via Missouri State Archives microfilm.

Probate
Madison County probate records date from 1821.

Taxation

 * Tax lien records 1959 to 1997 are on microfilm at the Missouri State Archives.

Birth
Madison County has birth records covering the period 1883 to 1900. Transcriptions are also accessible via the Missouri State Archives website.

Marriage
One online source states that Madison County marriage records date back to 1821. Actually, the county's marriage records date as early as 1820, and are accessible on microfilm at the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson County. See Missouri State Archives Guide to County and Municipal Records on Microfilm: Madison County (pdf).

Death
The county has death records covering the period 1883 to 1900. Transcriptions are also accessible via the Missouri State Archives website.

Web Sites

 * Madison County, Missouri (GenWeb)
 * Profile for Madison County, Missouri (ePodunk)
 * Profile for Madison County, Missouri (ePodunk)