Historic Map - Madison, WI - 1867

Madison, Wisconsin 1867. Drawn by A. Ruger.

Bird's-eye view map of Madison, Wisconsin, drawn by Albert Ruger and published by Chicago Lithographing Co. in 1867, reprint. Madison was selected as the capitol of the newly created Wisconsin Territory in November, 1836, when the city was still in the planning stages. Former federal judge James Duane Doty purchased the land earlier that year, and platted two cities on the more than one thousand acre parcel he had purchased. While Doty lobbied aggressively to have his new city selected as the capitol of the territory, it was the location of the proposed city that brought about the decision, being halfway between Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien, and central to northeastern Green Bay and the lead mining regions in the southwest. He named one of the platted cities Madison, after President James Madison who had only recently died, on June 28, 1836. He also gave the streets of Madison the names of the other 39 signers of the constitution.

The first capitol building was built in 1837. When Wisconsin became a state in 1848, Madison remained its capitol. The original capitol building was replaced in 1863, just four years before this map was published. The University of Wisconsin-Madison was established in 1849. The railroad arrived in 1854, beginning with the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad, later known as the Milwaukee Railroad.

"Union Corners", the intersection of Milwaukee, East Washington, Winnebago and North streets, was the site of a tavern that was the last stop before Union troops left Madison to join the fight during the Civil War.

Charming inset illustrations of the Capitol Building and the University, as well as The Vilas House and the Rasdall House are featured in the lower margin of the map.

Features numbered references to the following locations:

1. Capitol.
2. University.
3. Lunatic Asylum.
4. City Hall.
5. Ward School Houses.
6. Court House.
7. Jail.
8. Soldiers Orphan Home.
9. Madison & Prairie du Chien Railway Depot.
10. Turn Hall.
11. Presbyterian Church.
12. German Catholic Church.
13. Catholic Church.
14. Episcopal Church.
15. Baptist Church.
16. Hebrew Church.
17. Congregational Church.
18. Methodist Church.
19. Evangelical Church.
20. German Methodist Church.
21. Norwegian Church.
22. Unitarian Church.
23. Lutheran Church.