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Indiana · Indianapolis Metro · Anderson · #380
Madison County, Indiana
Anderson and the Interurban capital of Indiana - Madison County built its 20th-century identity around General Motors manufacturing and is now navigating the transition to a post-automotive economy while maintaining its position as an Indianapolis metro county with affordable housing and direct interstate access. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Madison County residents.
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Office: Madison County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via madisoncounty.in.gov.
Sheriff: Madison County Sheriff’s Office – Anderson, IN. Confirm current phone via madisoncounty.in.gov.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-69 serves Anderson, the county seat, along with 11 state roads and one U.S. Route.
Notes: Anderson is named for Chief William Anderson (Kikthawenund), whose mother was Delaware (Lenape) and father Swedish. John and William Conner arrived in the area in the early 1800s; William married Chief Anderson’s daughter Mekingees and established a trading post later sold to John and Sarah Berry, who platted the town in 1827. Andersontown became county seat the following year and was eventually shortened to Anderson by the state legislature in 1844. The city was incorporated in 1853, then as a city in 1865.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Madison County Courthouse – Anderson, IN.
Notes: Anderson holds genuine national significance in American industrial history: natural gas was discovered there March 31, 1887, igniting the broader Indiana Gas Boom (part of the Trenton Gas Field, then the largest natural gas deposit discovered to that point). Cheap, abundant gas drew dozens of glass manufacturers – Madison County hosted more than 38 glass factories by the early 1900s, including operations tied to Ball Brothers and Owens – earning Anderson the nickname “Queen City of the Gas Belt.” As gas reserves depleted by the 1910s, the local economy shifted to automotive manufacturing, centered on the Guide Lamp Division of General Motors. Alexandria, another Madison County city, was home to the innovation of Aladdin Lamps, the Rockwool Insulation industry, one of Indiana’s first interurban rail lines, and a rise in gospel music tradition.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Madison County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via madisoncounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Anderson Public Library (Anderson) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Paramount Theatre, the Anderson Museum of Art, and downtown Anderson’s historic district are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, historically significant Indiana Gas Boom heritage centered on Anderson – once home to dozens of glass factories – is among the standout local industrial histories covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Madison County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via madisoncounty.in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Animal Protection League of Madison County – confirm current contact via madisoncounty.in.gov.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Madison County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via madisoncounty.in.gov.
NOTES: Madison County is the forty-ninth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, historically significant Indiana Gas Boom heritage centered on Anderson is among the standout local industrial histories covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Madison County
Madison County is north-central Indiana’s Mounds State Park prehistoric earthworks and Anderson automotive heritage county – the 2,000-year-old Hopewell ceremonial mounds and the General Motors manufacturing legacy that defined Anderson’s industrial character define a county where Anderson serves the surrounding communities between Indianapolis and Muncie.
Anderson (the county seat, population ~54,000) is Madison County’s governmental hub on I-69, a north-central Indiana city whose Mounds State Park gateway, former GM manufacturing heritage, Anderson University, and White River setting anchor its identity.
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Madison County Assessor at 16 E. 9th Street, Anderson, IN 46016, phone 765-641-9671. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Madison County Circuit Court at 16 E. 9th Street, Anderson, IN 46016, phone 765-641-9620, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
16 E. 9th St., Anderson, IN 46016
(765) 641-9430
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
16 E. 9th St., Anderson, IN 46016
(765) 641-9430
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Madison County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Mounds State Park, Anderson – significant Native American earthworks and archaeological site, a major regional historical resource.
Local societies
No dedicated Madison County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Madison County Circuit Court 16 East 9th Street, Anderson, IN 46016 (765) 641-9490
Madison County is home to Anderson, a former hub of the automotive parts industry (Delco Remy/GM) and site of the historic Mounds State Park, home to significant Native American earthworks.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Indiana has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is governed by Indiana Code Title 29. Indiana offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the gross probate estate (less liens, encumbrances, and funeral expenses) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after death. The affidavit must be signed and recorded with the county recorder’s office before a personal representative is appointed. No court filing is required.
Devolution of Real Estate Affidavit – a separate affidavit specifically for transferring real property, available 7 months after death, with no value limit on the real estate, recorded with the county recorder.
Unsupervised Administration – a simplified probate track available when the estate is solvent and all inheritors agree; fewer court appearances and filings than supervised administration.
Supervised Administration – full court oversight, used for contested, complex, or insolvent estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and for Issuance of Letters (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Personal Representative (if intestate) with the Madison County Circuit Court.
The court reviews the will for compliance with Indiana Code § 29-1-5-3 (in writing, signed by the testator, witnessed by at least 2 credible witnesses).
The court issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly 3 months from first publication) to file claims.
The personal representative marshals assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and distributes the estate.
File a closing statement or final accounting to formally close the estate.
What it costs
Indiana does not have a state estate or inheritance tax.
Filing fees vary by county – confirm current amounts with the Madison County Circuit Court.
Indiana has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit – a minimum 45-day wait; Unsupervised Administration – roughly 6-9 months if uncontested; Supervised Administration – 9-12+ months.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1 Sheriff's Lane, Anderson, IN 46016
(765) 642-0771
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
16 E. 9th St., Anderson, IN 46016
(765) 641-9430
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Madison County Health Dept
(765) 642-0170
IN FSSA — East Central Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Community Health Network — Anderson
ecommunity.com/andersonregional
IU Health Tipton
iuhealth.org/tipton
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Madison County Health Department – confirm current contact via madisoncounty.in.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Anderson
Population: 128,000
Area: 452 mi²
Established: 1823
Tier: 3
Public Records
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