January, 1846

Madison County laid out

April, 1846

First settler, Hiram Hurst (left)

January, 1849

Madison County formally organized with 701 residents

1849

First church organized

April 17, 1849

First marriage performed

May, 1849

First court held

June, 1849

Big Rattlesnake Hunt

July, 1849

City of Winterset platted

1850

California gold seekers began traversing the county

Madison County population: 1,174

First frame house built

First Courthouse built (left)

1851

City of St. Charles laid out by George Hartman and Jesse C. Young

First log jail built

1852

Wagons pass through Winterset on way to Oregon

1853 - 1856

Six more churches organized

1855

Result of public vote: 343 for granting liquor licenses, 168 against

City of Peru laid out by Aaron Hiatt

1856

First county fair held

First newspaper published

1857

Madison County population: 7,081

1858

First teachers’ institute held

1859

60 schools in the county

1865

Madison Woolen Mills built

International Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) Organized

1867

Madison County population: 9,764

Flour mill built in St. Charles - saw mill attached later

Soldiers’ monument dedicated in Monument Square (left)

1868

City of Earlham surveyed and building began

Chicago, Rock Island, & Pacific Railroad reaches Earlham

Second Courthouse built on Winterset’s square (left)

Brown, Fletcher and Callison covered bridges built

1870

Earlham’s first church buildings erected (Presbyterian & Friends)

Earlham’s first public school opened

Imes covered bridge built (top left)

Cutler-Donahoe covered bridge built (bottom left)

1872

First railroad train at Winterset

City of Patterson laid out by Messrs. Patterson, Bevington and Munger

City of Bevington laid out and named after Dr. C.D. Bevington

Macksburg’s Bethesda Baptist and Methodist Churches organized

Jesse Hiatt produced the first Delicious apple (left)

1873

City of Macksburg laid out and named after founder, Dr. J. H. Mack (left)

1875

Madison County population: 16,030

April 23, 1875

Susan B. Anthony speaks at the Courthouse in Winterset

Oct. 2, 1875

Courthouse burned (left)

1876

Courthouse rebuilt (left)

1879

Result of public vote: 84 for granting liquor licenses, 314 against

Three to six railcar loads of stone shipped daily from quarries near Earlham

1880

First telephones in Winterset

Holliwell covered bridge built (left)

1883

Roseman covered bridge built (top left)

Cedar covered bridge built (bottom left)

1884

Hogback covered bridge built (left)

1886

First Old Settlers Reunion held at the house of Joel Clanton (left)

1887

East Peru formed when Chicago & Great Western Railroad came through

Oct. 1, 1889

Electricity comes to Winterset

1902

First car in Madison County, a Knoxmobile owned by William Steer of Truro

1904

Madison County Historical Society is organized (left)

1905

Carnegie Library built in Winterset (left)

1927

Clark Tower built (left)

1930

Pammel State Park dedicated

1933

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) “Camp Harmon” established at Pammel State Park

1949

Madison County Historical Society opens display rooms in Courthouse

1969

Many scenes in the movie Cold Turkey starring Dick Van Dyke and Bob Newhart were shot in Winterset and nearby Greenfield

1984

President Ronald Reagan visits Winterset

1992

Robert James Waller publishes the novel “The Bridges of Madison County” (left)

1993

Oprah Winfrey broadcasts her show live from Cedar covered bridge (left)

1994

The movie The Bridges of Madison County strarring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep was filmed in the county, with scenes shot in Winterset and at Roseman and Holliwell covered bridges (left)

Sept. 3, 2002

Cedar covered bridge destroyed by arson

2004

The Madison County Historical Society celebrates its 100th anniversary with two concerts by Iowa native Simon Estes, and with an antique bell mounted on a limestone pedestal (left, with pedestal builders Cody Reed and Dusty Weeks) containing a time capsule

Oct. 9, 2004

New replica Cedar covered bridge dedicated by Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and first lady Christie Vilsack (left)