(Photo: Mayor Bob Courtney of Madison Indiana)
This week, we sat down with the Mayor of Madison, Indiana, Mayor Bob Courtney. We talked about his background, how he got into politics, some must-see spots in Madison, Indiana, and much more! Stay tuned to learn more about the charming town of Madison, Indiana.
How did you become mayor of Madison? Tell us about your political career.
I have lived in Madison my entire life, and my background is in banking, finance, and investments. This is my first elected position as I retired from banking and investments in 2018. My wife and I had a real estate company here and were doing historic preservations across the community. I’m a CPA and hold two security licenses.
What I really wanted to bring to Madison was a new way to do economic development. One that focuses on investing in our community, capacity building, and things that we can do in our community to attract tourists, attract talent, grow our population, increase our resident’s income, and make our community safer. The three key initiatives we have brought into office are public safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life. We are big proponents of leading with our own capital so that additional capital will follow. The results have proven that to be the case. We are now enjoying a renaissance of new outside private capital investment and a tremendous number of partnerships and collaborations. We can’t do it alone, but if we have the right strategies and collaborations, then we can leverage the resources we have and create a multiplier effect where the investment becomes even more dramatic for our community, which leads to dramatic results.
What are some must-dos for visitors coming into Madison?
The history of Madison goes beyond 19th-century architecture. Madison was a thriving metropolis for commerce back in the early 19th century. It was not only the gateway into Indiana but the gateway into Chicago, Detroit, and other places in the U.S., particularly on the East Coast. It has a tremendous history with the underground railroad. During the Civil War, many of our men and women went to fight. Right now, we have 2,300 veterans who call Jefferson County and the city of Madison home. We had a very successful operation with the underground railroad, where indentured slaves were trying to escape slave states and move up to the Northeast. Madison was a primary roadway, so to speak, for the underground railroad.
We also have some of the longest-running volunteer fire departments. When you come to visit our community, not only do we boast the fact that we have a fantastic all-volunteer fire department that has existed for more than 175 years, but we recommend looking at the buildings. Some fire departments are still operating out of the original firehouses from the early 1800s. You will also want to see our cotton mill, which is a great example of adaptation and reuse. It’s one of the oldest and longest-standing cotton mills along the Ohio river that fell into severe despair over the last 30 years. Now, it’s been readapted to a Fairfield Hotel that is truly one of a kind. It’s one of the best Fairfield Hotels in the world when you go by ratings.
Historic Madison has some fantastic museum properties, such as the Masonic Schofield House, Shrewsbury-Windle House, and the Lanier Mansion Historic Site, that people can tour, too. Madison offers unique experiences, which is really what we are branding and offering. We are branding the experiences and Madison as a historical community with a fantastic future that thrives on a new investment, a greater population, and cultivating and curating a fantastic music and arts scene.
We hear Madison has some awesome festivals; can you tell us about those?
We have about 40 different festivals throughout the year that if you are lucky enough to be here for, you will get to taste Madison, Indiana. These festivals range from music festivals and our Rooster Tail Festival to BBQ festivals and holiday festivals. During these events, we can get upwards of 50,000 people, and national talent will come in and play music and participant in the festivities. We also have our Arts Festival in September. It is truly one of a kind and draws many visitors. It’s called Chautauqua Festival of Art, and it’s a juried arts and crafts festival that gets on average 175 exhibitors.
Can you tell us about some of the new and exciting things coming to Madison?
We recently competed in a statewide economic development competition called Ready Grants. My staff came up with two plans, a workforce development plan and the other was Destination Madison. We had to go through scoring and competition. About half a dozen of our projects ended up being included in the Regional Authorities statewide plan and Madison is receiving a multi-million dollar grant to continue to enhance what we call Destination Madison, which comprises of enhancing our Main Street and gateway center. This will allow us to acquire more property along the Ohio river to further form this new gateway area. It’s going to be beautiful and inviting.
We are also doing a restoration of a 1938 WPA project called Crystal Beach and will be restoring the pool house and doing a major renovation of the swimming pool so that the next several generations will have that amenity to enjoy. We have the Bicentennial Amphitheater, too, where we will be putting a performance stage so that we can do Shakespeare in the park and music festivals in the outdoor amphitheater. The visitors coming by water in a year and a half will see a fantastic super overlook which will be a terrace area that will be the crown jewel of our riverfront. It will be a terrace area where people can sit and enjoy and picnic while watching the river. It will also be a year-round space for weddings, parties, and our riverfront events. We are making a multi-million-dollar investment in revitalizing our parks corridor, our riverfront, and our prized assets on our Main Street.
We have a mixed-use development called the Hill Top, a new $55 million retail shopping center, and an industrial expansion that is bringing in hundreds of new well-paying jobs that will help fuel our economy. Our tourism industry is not only alive but thriving. We expect up to 350,000 visitors to come to the city of Madison this year.
Anything else we should tell our guests about Madison?
We really appreciate the investment you make in our community. Your guests become our guests. And we know one thing is true when you come here, you know you are somewhere special, and you will want to come back. Often times I greet people on the street and ask them where they are from and why they are here, and many of them relocated here or bought second homes here. They love what we have to offer. We are a small town, have the small-town charm, are a safe community, and have natural amenities that people like. That’s what you can expect when you come to Madison. There’s a surge of excellence, delivery of excellence, and lots to see and do when you get here.
Add Madison to your list of places to visit!
If you’re looking for a charming town to visit with a lot of history, scenic views, and numerous recreational activities, Madison, Indiana, is a must-visit destination. Check out our Ohio & Mississippi River sailings and see if one of our voyages stopping at Madison catches your eye!
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