MADISON, Wis., city, capital of the State, county-seat of Dane County, on the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul, the Illinois Central and the Chicago and Norith Western railroads, about 80 miles west of Milwaukee and 139 miles northwest of Chicago. It is between Lakes Monona and Mendota and near two other beau tiful lakes, Kegonsa and Waubesa; it is 974 feet above the sea and 210 feet above Lake Michigan. The place was named in honor of James Madison. The first house was erected in 1837; and after Wisconsin, in 1836, had been organized as a Territory, this site was chosen for the capital, and work on the Capitol was begun in 1837. The place was chartered as a city in 1856. Madison is situated in an agri cultural region and has commercial interests with a number of the larger cities, also with the small towns and villages in Dane and adjoining counties. Its chief manufactures are boots and shoes, agricultural implements and tools, flour, electrical machinery, wagons and car riages, blank books and law books, hospital fur niture and fixtures, horse collar pads, dry bat teries, cement stave silos, rennet extract, art glass, relief maps and models, boats, candy, cigars, beverages, lantern slides. It is a famous summer resort because of its climate, lakes and scenery. The drives are remarkable— about 30 miles of road in the vicinity are macadamized, kept in repair and beautified by popular sub scription. Madison is noted for its educational institutions, chief of which is the University of Wisconsin. Opposite the university is the State Historical Society headquarters, the most beautiful building in the city next to the Capitol.
It is Renaissance-Ionic, of Bedford limestone, and the original cost was $1,000,000. It contains a valuable collection of historical mementos and the famous reference library of the society, about 245,000 volumes. It is considered one of the best historical libraries in the United States. The libraries of the Wisconsin Academy of Sci ences, Arts and Letters and of the State Univer sity are also in this building. The city free public library is housed in a building of its own, a gift from Andrew Carnegie. Just outside the city limits are the Sacred Heart Academy (a boardng school for girls), a branch of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, the State Fish Hatch ery and the State Hospital for the Insane. The public and parish schools maintain a high stand ard. Some of the other prominent buildings are the new State Capitol, just being completed at a cost of between $6,000,000 and $7,000,000, which is surrounded by a beautiful 14-acre park, a building of Bethel granite, in the Italian Renaissance style, with the second highest dome in the United States; the county courthouse and jail, a government building, soon to be replaced by a new one, for which Congress has appro priated $550,000; and some 24 churches. It is a favorite educational convention city. The uni versity summer school, held each year, attracts a number of students. The government is vested in a mayor, whose term is two years, and a council. The city owns and operates the waterworks. Pop. about 30,000.