MADISON

18th century

During the British colonial period of the 17th and 18th centuries, the earliest settlers arriving in Madison were of European descent in what was then the colonial-era Province of New Jersey. Traditional native trails and pathways were followed as settlement began. Pressures upon the Lenape constantly drove them westward.

In or around 1715, Bottle Hill, a village, was established at the crossing of Ridgedale Avenue and Kings Road. Village governance principles followed the British model. The Luke Miller house at 105 Ridgedale Avenue is thought to be the oldest remaining home, having been built around 1730. During British colonial rule, Kings Road was a toll road that assessed fees levied by the government appointed by the English king. Farther south was the Shunpike, a road with a parallel path that was used by colonists to avoid the fees.

Morris County was established in 1739 and was divided into three townships. The portion of the village north of Kings Road was put under the governance of Hanover Township and the portion to the south, under the governance of Morris Township. A meeting house for the Presbyterian Church of South Hanover, as Madison was then called, was started in 1747, where the Presbyterian Cemetery still exists between Kings Road and Madison Avenue. With the Treaty of Easton in 1758, the Lenape were required to vacate their lands in colonial New Jersey and to move westward. Their leaders allied with the colonists during the American Revolutionary War in hopes of regaining former lands, but those hopes were never realized.

Following the American Revolution, changes to governing the former colonies occurred gradually as the new nation organized. The state of New Jersey formed its government and debated best policies.

19th century

During a reorganization of Morris County in 1806, Chatham Township was established and included all of present-day Chatham Township and the three pre-Revolutionary War villages of Chatham, Florham Park, and Madison, which were still governed by Chatham Township, and ended the governmental division of Bottle Hill.

In 1834, the name of the settlement was changed to Madison. As a tribute to the name, every year a fair called Bottle Hill Day is held.

In 1838, the Morris and Essex Railroad Line was founded, connecting Newark and Hoboken and providing transportation for farm produce grown in Madison. The railroad made possible the establishment of a flourishing rose growing industry, still commemorated in Madison's nickname, the Rose City. The rail service connected the commerce to the markets of Manhattan] Madison's growth accelerated after the Civil War and the Morris and Essex Lines became one of America's first commuter railroads, attracting well-to-do families from Manhattan (many of whom already owned large parcels land in the area for farming, hunting, and recreation) and contributing to the development of "Millionaire's Row", which stretched from downtown Madison to downtown Morristown. Greenhouses dotted the countryside. Talented horticulturalists were attracted to the area for employment at the many wealthy estates in the immediate area and to establish related businesses. One of the first grand houses to be built on Millionaire's Row was the Ross Estate. In 1893, Florence Adele Vanderbilt and her husband Hamilton McKown Twombly began to build the impressive Florham estate. The estate name is a portmanteau of their first names, Florence and Hamilton. Home to Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham is a Gilded Age mansion and the 9th largest house in the United States.

On December 27, 1889, based on the results of a referendum passed on December 24, 1889, the village seceded from Chatham Township and adopted the newly created borough government (when it first became available) to develop a local water supply system for its population of 3,250. Madison annexed additional portions of Chatham Township in 1891, and again each year from 1894 to 1898, which was followed by an exchange of certain lands in 1899 with Chatham Township.

Madison's historic railroad station was funded by the community, which passed an ordinance authorizing $159,000 for railroad improvement bonds. The result, with the cooperation of the D.L. & W.R.R. in the planning, was completed in 1916. The tracks were elevated through the downtown so that no established roadways were hindered by crossing delays. Mrs. D. Willis James financed much of the road grading caused by the elevation of the tracks. The station included baggage and cargo facilities readily accessible by wagon, as well as the stationmaster offices, a newsstand, and waiting facilities featuring extensive banks of high-backed wooden seating. Weeping mulberry trees were planted among the landscaping and in natural areas in the parking area.

The rose industry and the large estates in the area attracted working-class people of all kinds. As a result, Madison developed a diverse population very early, both in terms of socioeconomic status and ethnic background. The original settlers were of British stock; French settlers came after the American Revolution; African Americans have been members of the community from early in the 19th century; Irish came in the mid-19th century; and then Germans and Italians arrived around the turn of the 20th century. To this day, a substantial population of Italian descent remain in Madison. Madison remains a diverse community, with recent newcomers arriving from Central America, South America, and Asia. Madison is a railroad suburb of New York City.

20th century

The Evergreen Cemetery was mentioned in Weird NJ for an incident in 1902, when after a downpour, bodies were found on the streets.