Madison, Missouri. Madison is a small friendly town located in Monroe County, Missouri. We have a population of 518. We are a rural and agriculture area. Madison's first permanent settlement was made in 1820, 3 1/2 miles east of Middle Grove's present site. Many families migrated here from Kentucky seeking a new life in our wilderness. With our area lying in between Old Allen, now Moberly, and Paris, the county's seat saw the need in developing this spot and establishing a trade area. Mr. Abernathy known as an industrious and educated business man saw much potential here and decided to become the founder and and name our town Madison after President James Madison. In researching, Mr. Abernathy, born February 23, 1795, in Lunenburgh County, Virginia, moved with his parents at the age of two, to Fayette County, Virginia. He lived there for the next twenty years. During the later years of his life, he perfected the hatters in trade. In 1817 he married Jennie Winn of Kentucky and they moved to Howard County, Missouri, where she was a school teacher. They raised four children together until she suddenly died in 1822. In 1823 he moved his family to Ralls County, which then consisted of Monroe, Shelby, Lewis, Clark, Knox, Schuyler, Scotland, and Adair counties. In 1826 he married Rosana Davis, with whom he had nine children. He then went to Paris where he found dense forest through which wild animals roamed. Mr. Abernathy endeavored to use his talents in teaching and learning the practice of law. He held many offices of trust including that of a circuit attorney. His circuit included 12 counties. He fulfilled his job, even though there was no direct roads and the flies bothered him and his horses bad. Then in his later years he married his third wife and had three kids with her. Mr. Abernathy died and was buried at the Paris, Missouri, at age 91. With the new stage coach line running through this area both day and night runs, Mr. Abernathy had located the station one mile west of Madison, because he knew in his heart that it would thrive. He entered 40 acres and laid out half of the tract into 90 lots selling them for $1,000.00. Mr. Abernathy also built the first house in Madison, but in 1837 it was turned into a tavern. The Marvin Grove family settled here and was the first merchant to operate a general store. His little girl was actually the first person to be buried at Sunset Hill Cemetery. This was because he had donated a plot of land in 1834. In 1837, Daniel and James Eubank saw buildings begin to crop up, so in 1938 they opened up a general store of their own. Dr. Ray was Madison's first physician with others through the years being, Doctors Ladd, Venaugh, Tucker, Todd, Perry, Davis, Wilcox, Forrest, Johnson, Atterbury, Drace, T. R. Turner, Stauber, and last Dr. Rhodes. Madison began a boom with blacksmith shops, lawyers, a cabinet shop owned by Baker and Atterbury Brother's which lumber was brought for especially to make coffins to fit, a saw mill, lumberyard, hardware store, butcher shop, livery stables, millinery shop, barber shop, restaurant, and a hotel-tavern. There was also a shop that manufactured plows and wagons. The town also had a carding mill, where Fleeces of wool were picked and carded then made into yarn for clothing. A tramp wheel pulled by a mule ran the machinery. The organizations and civilization was taming the wilderness. The Madison Masonic Lodge No. 91 was organized in 1847.
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