Go inside Madisonville, a Cincinnati neighborhood that boasts a long and colorful history. Madisonville was founded in 1809 as Madison, Ohio, in honor of James Madison, who had recently been inaugurated as the fourth president of the United States. The first permanent settlers, the Joseph Ward family, built three log cabins in 1797 along a Native American trail near the area that is now Whetsel Avenue, Erie Avenue and Red Bank Road. The famous archeological excavations of the ""Madisonville Site"" by Dr. Charles Metz and his crew discovered artifacts that are housed in museums across the world. State and federal legislators, as well as secretaries of commerce and defense, grew up in Madisonville. The city is home to public, private, and parochial schools, plus over 25 churches. Incorporation into the city of Cincinnati in 1911 brought about numerous renovations of the business district, and a renaissance is currently underway. "More than 200 years of Madisonville history can now be explored. The book "Images of America Madisonville" will be available in July. Madisonville Historical Society members Ruth Ann Busald, Nancy Hanseman and Janet Meckstroth-Blank wanted to share the community's history through some type of publication. Busald said Hanseman suggested preparing a book shortly after Madisonville's bicentennial in 2009. After publisher Arcadia Publishing expressed interest, the task of compiling and organizing a myriad of photographs began. It began with a postcard collection of Hanseman's, said Meckstroth-Blank. "We (then) started rounding up every original photograph we could get our hands on," she said. Busald said Madisonville historical archives were also used in the book, which features 200 photographs dating back to the 1850s. Madisonville was founded in 1809 under the name Madison Place in honor of James Madison, who had been inaugurated as president. The village of Madisonville was incorporated into Cincinnati in 1911. "What I enjoyed most was seeing the very old historic pictures," said Meckstroth-Blank. Busald said she hopes the book has an impact on those who look through it. "I would like people to come away with the knowledge of the rich history Madisonville," she said. Both Meckstroth-Blank and Busald said "Images of America Madisonville" also provides an optimistic look at the future of the community." Community Recorder, Forrest Sellers Written by three members of the Madisonville Historic Society who have a lifetime love for and pride in the history and future of Madisonville, this book catalogs the development of Madisonville from its earliest days.