Indiana: Madison County

Madison County (pop. 131,636) is east of Hamilton County. It is one of the 19 Madison counties (and one Madison Parish) named for James Madison, fourth president of the U.S.

Hamilton and Madison, along with John Jay, wrote “The Federalist Papers,” which promoted the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

The county seat of Madison County is the city of Anderson (pop. 56,129).

Paramount Theatre, Anderson (1929)

In 1970, Anderson had 20 General Motors plants and a population of 70,787. All the GM plants are now closed.

Delco Remy Division in 1973

The first interurban railroad in the U.S. was between Anderson and Alexandria, starting in 1898.

Nestle USA opened a plant in Anderson in 2009. It produces Coffee-Mate and Nesquik, among other items.

Anderson is the home of Anderson University, a liberal arts school affiliated with the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). It has about 2,500 students.

The Indianapolis Colts train there.

Hoosier Park, on the south side of Anderson, has thoroughbred racing and a casino. The track opened in 1994, and the casino opened in 2008.

The city of Alexandria (pop. 5,145) is the hometown of Christian singer and songwriter Bill Gaither. He was born there in 1936.

“The World’s Largest Ball of Paint” is in Alexandria.

Camp Chesterfield, in the town of Chesterfield (pop. 2,547), is the home of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists. Appointments are available with mediums, clairvoyants and healers.

Wendell Wilkie (1892-1944), Republican nominee for president in 1940, was a native of the city of Elwood (pop. 8,614).

NEXT: DELAWARE COUNTY

South Carolina: Anderson County

Anderson County (pop. 187,126) is north of Abbeville County, along the border with Georgia. It was named for Robert Anderson (1741-1813), a Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina.

There are four other Anderson counties – in Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas.

Anderson is the 11th-most-common surname in the United States.

Lake Hartwell is a large reservoir, mainly in Anderson County.  It was created by the construction of Hartwell Dam on the Savannah River in 1959.

962 miles of shoreline

The county seat of Anderson County is the city of Anderson (pop. 26,686).

Former Courthouse (1898)

Anderson has been known for many years as The Electric City; it was credited as the first city in the U.S. with a continuous supply of electric power – from a water mill on the Rocky River. Today, the county is known for its many automotive supply and plastics companies.

The restored Chiquola Hotel in downtown Anderson now has condominiums.

Built in 1888.

Anderson University is a private university affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. It has about 3,000 students.

Founded in 1911

The 2003 movie “Radio,” starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Ed Harris, was based on the story of Anderson resident James Robert “Radio” Kennedy.

Statue of “Radio” at Hanna High School

The town of Pendleton (pop. 2,964) was the birthplace of Samuel Augustus Maverick (1802-1870), later a Texas politician and land baron. He was the source of the term “maverick.”

“An independent-minded person”

NEXT: GREENVILLE COUNTY