Madison County, Ohio: History
In 1850, Madison County contained 24 churches and one newspaper office, had a total population of 10,015, and the county's public school system had 3838 pupils. With agriculture as the primary business, that same year the county produced 726,451 bushels of corn, 19,308 tons of hay, 120,696 pounds of wool, and 128,948 pounds of butter. In 1900, the county had a population of 20,590.
In November 1949, the remains of a Mastodon were discovered at Orleton Farms in Madison County, approximately 11.5 mi (18.5 km) northwest of West Jefferson. The discovery was made when workmen were locating a clogged drain on the farm with an iron rod. The farm reported the findings to the Ohio Historical Society, who then sent out a team to recover the bones. Later, in January of 1952, five different articles were released detailing the Orleton Mastodon and multiple experts' interpretations of the findings.
In 2008, Madison County, which spans Interstates 70 and 71 as they converge on Columbus, was cited by the Ohio State Highway Patrol as leading the state for the most speeding tickets 20-mph or more over the posted limit. Despite a population of around 42,000 in 2006, over 7,700 such tickets were issued in three years. Three of Madison County's 18 fatal crashes in 2006 and 2007 occurred on interstates. Madison County is also home to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation, and several prison facilities.