Madison, History on the River
Written: May 04 '00 (Updated Jan 24 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautifully preserved, Historic, Great Shopping
Cons: Gets a bit crowded from time to time
The Bottom Line: Madison is the best preserved historic Ohio River town.
Great antique shopping and lots of photo opportunities
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| Howard_Creech's Full Review: Indiana |
When I was a youngster we lived in Muncie, Indiana. Twice every year we would head south to visit my grandparents in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. My favorite stop was a little roadside joint in Madison. I don't recall the name, but the sign said "Best Hamburgers in Indiana", and they were. The place was right on U. S. 421, just before you crossed the river into Kentucky. The burgers were ten cents each, or twelve for a dollar, my Dad always bought two dozen, we would pull off right at the river and sit on the bank while we ate.
High limestone cliffs and palisades provide a beautiful setting for the prettiest old river town in Indiana. Madison is one of the best preserved towns in the state, with over 130 blocks on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of the buildings along Main Street were built before the Civil War, but the architectural styles run the gamut from Georgian to Carpenter Gothic. Beautiful wrought iron work was one of old Madison's major industries. Much of the famous wrought iron work in New Orleans was actually made in Madison and shipped down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers by steamboat. The profitable steamboat trade made the fortunes of many of Madison's merchants and businessmen, who invested their profits in building lovely houses and wide pretty tree lined streets hoping that Madison would be chosen the state capital.
Indianapolis became Indiana's capital and the steamboat trade eventually died out, today many of the fine old houses are Bed & Breakfasts, antique shops, galleries, restaurants, living museums, and shops selling quilts, arts and crafts, and what my grandmother called "bric-a-brac". Some of the most impressive homes are the J.F.D. Lanier State Historic Shrine, 511 W. First Street, the Shrewsbury House, 301 W. First Strret, and Dr. William Hutchings home/office, at 120 W. Third Street.
Madison's main claim to fame these days is the Madison Regatta, a Hydroplane race (some of the boats can hit 200 MPH) on the river held the fourth of July weekend. Every fall arts and crafts dealers from all over the country converge on Madison for the annual Chautauqua Festival (fourth weekend in September), nearby Clifty Falls State Park is a cool place to spend a hot summer day hiking, picnicing, or standing under the cold shower of falling water from one of the parks four waterfalls.
Just across the river, on the Kentucky side, U. S. 421 climbs to the top of a steep bluff that is actually the remains of a 350 million year old fossil reef. Stop at one of the pull offs and walk across the road to look for huge horn corals, brachiopods, marine snails, and other ancient sea creatures. Madison is about an hour by car from Louisville, a bit more from Cincinnati, and about two hours drive from Indianapolis.
If you enjoyed reading this U. S. Travel Review, please read my other U. S. Travel Reviews:
Kentucky
The Red River Gorge
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-1904-880A6C7-389B12A5-prod1
Lilley Cornett Woods
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Sleep in a Teepee
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Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill
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Louisville
Mazzoni’s Café
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Cunningham’s Delicatessen
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Kaelin’s Restaurant “Birthplace of the Cheeseburger”
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A Day in the Highlands
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Indiana
Madison
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-2EC-53C7B31-391236FF-prod3
Wisconsin
Milwaukee
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Mississippi
Natchez
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New Mexico
On the Trail of Billy the Kid
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Texas
The Big Thicket National Preserve
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Just “cut and paste” the URL into your browser’s address bar/window
Recommended:
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Epinions.com ID:
Howard_Creech
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Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
Reviews written: 333
Trusted by: 1274 members
About Me:
Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
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