Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-18
MADISON AND VICINITY.
A THRIVING SECTION OF YOLO
COUNTY.
Some of Its Many Industries-An
Excellent Locality For Profit
able Investments.

Madison is town of about 400 inhab-
itants, situate in almost the geographical
center of Yolo county, and is twelve miles
west of Woodland (the county seat, six
miles east of the entrance to Capay valley
and one mile south of Cache creek. Cache
creek is a stream of considerable magni-
tude, and is spanned by substantial
wooden bridge, over quarter mile in
length. Capay valley is one of the most
fruitful and picturesque IN the world.
Madison, at present, is the terminus of
the Vaca Valley and Clear Lake Railroad.
but will not remain so long, for this road
is to be extended through Lake and Men
docino counties. Work on the extension
has already begun, the road during the
past few months having been graded as far
as the head of Cache Greek CANYON, dis
lance of twenty-five miles from Madison.
and track laying is liable to be begun at
any moment. When the road is completed
Madison will be one of its chief shipping
points, for this town to-day is the depot of
a large scope of the surrounding country
and Is the nearest point of shipment on the
railroad for the valley Of Capay. AS some
| of the large ranches near Madison are to
be divided up and sold this will tend to
bring in settlers and increase the import
ance of the town as business center.
Madison was laid out in 1877, the town
plot having been filed in January, 1877.
and the first passenger train having en-
tered it in May of the same year. The
| town at first view does not appear very
imposing to the stranger yet it contains
two general merchandise stores that do an
extensive business, drug store wherein is
! situated the postoffice, a barber shop, six
saloons, saddlery, a neat town hall, two
livery stables, meat and pork-packing es-
| Enlistment, a hardware store, machine
repair shop, well-boring establishment,
three large warehouses, a water-works sys-
TEN, steam flour mill, three blacksmith
shops, lumber--yard, shoe shop, two laun-
dries, good public school, two churches
three lodges, telegraph, telephone and
| Wells, Fargo Co. express Office. There is
also railroad round-house at Madison
and last but not least, i very good baseball
| club.
The waterworks consist of two large
wooden tanks that have q combined ca
pacity of $4,000 gallons, the water being
pumped into them by steam power Pipes
are lald throughout the town and water is
always available for sprinkling. fire and
other purposes. The three grain ware
houses have combined storage capacity of
over 10000 tons and as much more grain
can be, and often is, stored unsheltered in
4 xrnr dc aft L..
over, to await shipment. The warehouses
are full after every harvest. This speaks
volumes for the productiveness of the sur
rounding country, and demonstrates the
Importance of Madison as business GEN.
| ter. Another fact that demonstrates the
Importance of Madison as a business CEN
ter and shipping point, is the existence
there OF an extensive meat and pork-pack-
ing establishment, which has been there
almost since the town started. 1t
does large business During the
year 1887 over two thousand hogs
were slaughtered, and also many beeves,
calves and sheep. Hams are smoked
there, bacon is cured, and quality of lard
Is rendered that cannot be excelled by any
similar establishment in the world. The
products of this establishment are shipped
to various points in the State, and find
such favor that the demand far exceeds
the supply. At present the cattle and
hogs that are brought there are those only
that have been raised in the vicinity.
| Were the capacity of the establishment to
be increased tenfold, it still could dispose
of its products readily. +. n. Heinrich.
the proprietor of the place, informs us that
1t is his intention to enlarge it consider
ably this year. a butcher shop and sausage
factory are combined with the establish
men. The steam flour mill at Madison
has grinding capacity of so barrels OF
Hour and 5OOsacks of ground feed per day.
1t usually runs night and day, and, until
lately, has been doing big business.
The soil around Madison, like that all
over 1olo county, is as rich as any in the
State. 1t will produce anything, and
everything that it has been made to pro-
duce Is remarkable for its size and quality.
Notwithstanding the excellence of its
soil the land values are not high. On the
contrary, in comparison with some of the
lands IN the southern counties they are
preposterousiy low. Only from S45 to Sl25
per acre. Land of an inferior quality in
the southern counties, which must be irri-
gated to be rendered fruitful, sells readily
for 5000, $500 and 800 per acre. The
land around Madison needs no irrigation
whatever. The rainfall is ample every
year. Fruits and vines thrive best with
out irrigation and it has been abundautlv
proven that grains also thrive best with
out irrigation. Water is used for alfalf,
In some spots only, and the editor of this
paper doubts whether artificial water is
needed at all IN 1olo county, or for that
matter in Northern California.
The town of Madison itself is situated on
the worst land in its neighborhood, which
Is eminently proper, for it leaves all the
good land free for cultivation. As is the
surrounding country that maintains a
country town, the founders of Madison
displayed wisdom when they chose the in
terior land for a town site. Yet the land
upon which the town is situated is not
worthless. for with proper cultivation it
can be made to grow anything 1t consists
of a sort of alkali adobe which must be
pampered and coaxed little. Since orange
and other fruit trees are now growing in
the gardens of some of the citizens of Mad
ison it would seem as if the soil there had
been successfully coaxed
West of Madison, and out toward the
foothills, the soil is simply indispensable
in quality, and is mainly devoted to wheat
raising. a few vineyards and orchards
only have yet been laid out, yet the land
is admirably adapted to fruits and vines.
The celebrated Orleans vineyard is only a
short distance from Madison and comprises
from six to eight hundred acres of vines.
\ distillery and extensive wine cellars are
on the premises, and the wines turned out
are of very superior quality. There are a
few other vineyards near by, but of not so
extensive a characte' There are also
several fruit orchards near Madison,
where wonderful fruits are grown, but
there is room for many more orchards and
vineyards too. Settlers are badly needed
around Madison, and, as the soil is so rich,
the prices of land so low, the scenery and
climate so delightful, what more can people
crave in this weary, all-too-prosaic world
l-Wddison ReCiep
| 0zE1znzzr.z2s-s.~7-,~-~
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