Located in the center of New York State, Madison County is bordered on the north by Oneida County; on the east by Oneida and Otsego; on the south by Chenango; and on the west by Onondaga and Cortland counties. Oneida Lake, the largest lake contained entirely within New York State, lies at the northern edge of the county.
The county includes more than ten other lakes as well, though many were built as reservoirs during the 19th century in order to support the Erie and Chenango Canals. Madison County contains the city of Oneida, as well as 15 towns and nine villages.
The county seat is Wampsville, in the northern part of the county. Madison County’s rural setting makes the county perfect for the many villages and historical estates the county maintains. The county also contains the geographic center of the state at Pratts Hollow, in the village of Eaton. The county has a population of 73,442, according to the 2010 U.S. federal census.
Here are two local resources in Madison County you should visit when searching in this region:
- Madison County Historical Society (Cottage Lawn Museum & Mary King Genealogical and Research Library) - Their holdings include family histories, newspapers, and vital records. A comprehensive list is available on the website, along with newsletter archives. Their annual journal, Heritage, started in 1977.
- Local History Room at the Oneida Public Library - Their holdings include genealogies and histories, cemetery records, census microfilms, immigration records, local directories, material on the Oneida Community, maps, newspapers (Oneida Daily Dispatch and others, 1800s–present), photographs, and the genealogical collection of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Skenandoah Chapter (Oneida, NY).
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