Madison Township

 

The Muskingum County commissioners ordered the formation of Madison Township from a section of Jefferson Township on July 2, 1819. 

Jacob Swigert (b. 1772, Pennsylvania-d. Dec. 9, 1863, Madison Twp.) settled in the area in 1800. Swigert's parents, Sebastian and Magdalena Weigl Sweigart, were German immigrants. Apparently, quite a few German immigrants and/or their children moved into this part of Muskingum County between 1800-1810 because lessons in the first school established there were taught in German. It wasn't until 1811 that classes were taught in English. In addition to "Swigert," other early settlers included Bainter, Stoner, Shirer, and Copeland.

There are no municipalities in Madison Township. According to the U.S. census bureau, the township had a population of only 495 in 2020. Because Madison is bounded in part by the Muskingum River, it once boasted a fairly large number of grist mills and sawmills. At least two potteries, the William Minner Pottery and the King & Swope Pottery were established between 1869-1879 along Symmes Creek which feeds into the Muskingum. 

As with most of Muskingum County's townships, the earliest church congregation was Methodist, and the first church building, the Whelan Methodist Episcopal Church, was erected in 1823. A Presbyterian church was built around 1835 on land belonging to Judge Daniel Stillwell. Neither of these churches exist today, but there is a Whelan Cemetery.

Supposedly the township has several "ancient mounds," dating from the times of the Adena and Hopewell cultures. According to Google AI, the mounds were noted as nearby features in historic descriptions of several of the mills, but there is no modern-day information about the type (effigy or burial) of mounds or their exact location. We cannot be certain such structures actually existed.

The historic Dresden Suspension Bridge, built over 

the Muskingum River in 1853, connected Madison

Township with the town of Dresden in Jefferson 

Township. The bridge is permanently closed.