Local events in Madison Township, Muskingum County
Nothing is posted for Madison Township itself yet; here is what is on within 10 miles. All local events in Madison Township, Muskingum County
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Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
How Madison Township, Muskingum County began
Madison Township was created July 2, 1819 out of the larger original Jefferson Township, and reduced to its present bounds when Adams Township was cut from it in December 1826; it was named for President James Madison. Jacob Swigert is recorded as the first settler on the river in 1800, followed through the 1800s by the Bainter, Sprague, Shriver, Adams and Stoner families. It stayed a farming and mill township - gristmills, sawmills, a pottery and early salt production on Wills Creek - and never incorporated a village of its own. Its western edge borders Jefferson and Cass townships, where the village of Dresden sits, and the Dresden Suspension Bridge's National Register listing names Madison Township on its far bank.
Settled 1800 (Jacob Swigert, on the river), incorporated July 2, 1819 (created from Jefferson Township); reduced in size December 1826 when Adams Township was set off.
Where the name comes from
Named for President James Madison.
Before the town
No named Native village, trail or treaty line specific to Madison Township turned up in the sources reviewed, but the township's own Wikipedia article records that as of an 1833 description the township contained 'several ancient mounds' alongside its mill and salt-factory count; no further detail on their number, type or exact location was found. The documented Wakatomika-area Shawnee village and its 1774 destruction belong to neighboring Jefferson and Cass townships, not Madison Township, despite Madison sharing ZIP code 43821 with part of the Dresden area.
- unnamed mounds, Madison Township (mound) — Madison Township (exact location not given in source), not specified (en.wikipedia.org)
Timeline
- — Jacob Swigert settles on the river, the first settler in what becomes Madison Township.
- — George Adams, from Virginia, settles and builds the township's first hewed-log house.
- — George Stoner and Elizabeth Shirer are married, the first couple married in the township.
- — A Mr. Decker becomes the first teacher to hold classes in English, at the schoolhouse near Symmes Creek forks (the first school there had taught in German).
- — Charles Copeland builds the township's first brick house.
- — Madison Township is created from Jefferson Township; its first election is held July 31, 1819, at Martin Wheelen's house.
- — Wheelon Methodist Episcopal Church, a 24-by-36-foot hewed-log structure, is built.
- — Adams Township is set off from Madison Township, giving Madison its present size.
- — An 1833 description counts one sawmill, one flouring mill, one salt factory, one physician, one attorney and several ancient mounds in the township.
- — The cornerstone of St. Matthew's Protestant Episcopal Church is laid, August 4.
- — A 1,000-foot suspension bridge spans the Muskingum River at Dresden from 1852 until the Great Flood of 1913 destroys it; the Dresden Suspension Bridge listed on the National Register in 1978, between Dresden and Madison Township, is the metal link bridge built to replace it in 1914.
Stories
The bridge on the township line
The 1,000-foot suspension bridge built across the Muskingum River at Dresden in 1852, reportedly only the third suspension bridge built in the United States, cost $30,000 and used locally manufactured materials, until the Great Flood of 1913 tore it out. The metal link suspension bridge that replaced it in 1914 does not sit entirely inside the village it serves: its National Register listing names both 'Dresden' and 'Madison Township' as its location, since it crosses from the village side of the river onto the Madison Township bank opposite.
Local history sources: usgenwebsites.org · usgenwebsites.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Water
Mostly private wells The water here
- Dresden92% of residentsGroundwater wells (3 wells)
- Muskingum County Water - Se8% of residentsMuskingum River buried valley aquifer (wells near Duncan Falls)
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Madison Township, Muskingum County's boundary: 1 poor-rated bridge. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Bridges rated poor (1)
-
Steel Hill Rd over North BranchPoor · built 1982
- Condition
- Poor: a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale
- What it is
- Bridge
- Built
- 1982
- Length
- 11 ft
- Owner
- County
- Vehicles a day
- 209
- Coordinates
- 40.10515, -81.91567
National Bridge Inventory (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025. "Poor" means one major part rated 4 or below on the 0 to 9 scale; it calls for repair, not closing, unless the state posts or closes the bridge.
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Madison Township, Muskingum County, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.
| ZIP | Share | Water | Radon | Home value | Schools | Flood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43821 Dresden | 6% | Mostly private wells | 4.0 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Tri-Valley Local · 4 stars overall | 9.5% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
| 43802 Adams Township and Adamsville | 5% | Mostly private wells | 4.9 pCi/L average radon | Appraisal records without year built | Tri-Valley Local · 4 stars overall | 1.4% of residents in the 1% floodplain |
Local government
Who holds office in Madison Township, Muskingum County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2017: 2 of 2 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-11-07 | Issue: Madison Twp Fire, 1 mill 5 yrs Renewal (1.0 mills, renewal) | 80 | 17 | Passed (82.47% for) |
| 2017-11-07 | Issue: Madison Twp Fire, 2 mills 5 yrs Renewal (2.0 mills, renewal) | 75 | 21 | Passed (78.12% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-02 | Trustee | Kevin Spiker 46, 41.82%; Ralph W. Carnes 37, 33.64%; Sean Murphy 27, 24.55% |
| 2021-11-02 | Fiscal Officer | Jody A. Little 62, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Trustee | Henry Jason Vore 68, 89.47%; Write-in 8, 10.53% |
Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.
Auditor of State record
- No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
- Basic Audit, 2023 to 2024, released 2025-05-20
The county
Muskingum County: 17 ZIP codes, 38 cities, villages and townships, 91,875 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Madison Township, Ohio in?
Madison Township, Muskingum County is a township in Muskingum County, Ohio, with 518 residents.
When was Madison Township, Ohio founded?
Madison Township, Muskingum County was settled 1800 (Jacob Swigert, on the river); incorporated July 2, 1819 (created from Jefferson Township); reduced in size December 1826 when Adams Township was set off. Source
How did Madison Township, Ohio get its name?
Named for President James Madison. Source
What ZIP code is Madison Township, Ohio?
Madison Township, Muskingum County is served by ZIP codes 43821 and 43802; 43821 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Madison Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Madison Township, Muskingum County (Dresden): Mostly private wells.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Madison Township, Muskingum County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/madison-township-muskingum-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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