About the Madison
County Bicentennial

We’re coming together to commemorate two hundred years of Madison County's existence. Our goal is to be inclusive of all county residents and to create an awareness of all facets of our county history through education, special events, fellowship, and celebration.

Nestled on the banks of White River and just 30 miles northeast of Indianapolis, Madison County is, in many ways, a microcosm of the American Midwest. Comprised of 450 square miles and 130,000 people, Madison County is home to Mounds State Park, Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing and Casino, and Anderson University (a private, liberal arts institution offering more than 60 undergraduate majors).

With suburban development pushing east from Hamilton County, much of the southern portions of Madison County are now considered within the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. Once home to about 20 General Motors’ plants, in 1971 one in every three people in Anderson worked for General Motors. However, today, like hundreds of other communities across the rust belt, Anderson continues its economic recovery from those bygone days. Conversely, Northern Madison County remains representative of rural Indiana with rolling farmlands weaving their way through a handful of idyllic cities and towns.

Madison County is also synonymous with high school basketball. The now vacant Anderson Wigwam was once the world’s second largest high school gymnasium. Collectively, Madison County schools have won six coveted state basketball championships and boasts five former Mr. Basketball award winners and one Miss Basketball winner. The award honors the best basketball player in the state of Indiana and is the oldest such award in the nation, having been established in 1939 (girls in 1976).

We, in Madison County, continue to cleave to our historic blue-collar work ethic and hometown values. Join us in this momentous, year-long celebration of the 200th anniversary of this great Indiana county!