Formed by retreating glaciers many changes have come to the area in the years that have passed. Between 1000 B.C. and 1000 A.D., groups of Native American known simply as "mound builders" occupied the Madison area. Today, only a few remain as a reminder of the unique beginning culture. When the Yankee settlers began to arrive in the 1800s, the Winnebago Nation called the area home.
In May of 1829, territorial Judge and land speculator James Duane Doty, taken in by the natural beauty of the area, purchased 1200 acres of land from the federal government for $1.25 an acre. President Andrew Jackson created the territory of Wisconsin on April 20, 1836. Six months later, Wisconsin’s first governor, Henry Dodge, convened the first Legislature in Belmont to discuss the site of the territorial capital. Previously known only as the “Four Lakes Region,” the territorial capital grew into the state capital of Madison.
The City of Madison, established in 1856 was named for former U.S. President James Madison, and the first streets were named for the other signers of the U.S. Constitution.
The state capitol building that overlooks Madison today is not the original Wisconsin capitol, it is actually the fourth capitol building on that site. The first building was demolished due to poor construction, the second was destroyed when one of the wings collapsed, and the third was extensively damaged by a fire. The current capitol building was completed in 1917. Recently refurbished to its original splendor, it is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful Capitol buildings across the country.
Madison Jobs 