In 1810, the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County appointed Philip Lewis director to lay out the county seat of Madison County, the site of which had previously been selected by John Pollock and George Jackson, who were paid $14 each by the Commissioners of this county for their services in making said selection. There is nothing on record to indicate the location of this prospective capital of Madison County, but the plat made by Mr. Lewis is recorded and bears date of having been certified to before Thomas Gwynne, a Justice of the Peace of Deer Creek Township, November 13, 1810. Mr. Lewis was allowed by the Commissioners of this county the sum of $20 for his services in laying off the town; while two days were spent by John Arbuckle in selling lots in the new county seat, and money was appropriated and bids advertised for toward the erection of a jail. All this is a matter of record, but while the index to the recorded plats of towns reads "Madison, Deer Creek Township, Philip Lewis, Director," some of the old settlers claim that London is built upon the site of the town laid out by Mr. Lewis, which bore the same name as the county, and that the item recorded is a mistake. We have no opinion to venture upon the subject, as there is nothing upon record to determine its exact location, and as we have given the main points connected with its history, the reader is at liberty to draw his own conclusions, bearing in mind, however, that the townships of Union and Deer Creek were erected on the same day, and that the territory comprising either was never a part of the other.
During the legislative session of 1810-11, Peter Light, Allen Trimble and Lewis Newsom were appointed by that body to select a location for the county seat of Madison County. Upon hearing of this action, the County Commissioners agreed to postpone the sale of the jail previously advertised, until such time as a permanent selection should be made by the Commissioners appointed by the Legislature. After examining different localities, their final choice fell upon the land of John Murfin, in Union Township. They came to this decision April 9, 1811, and August 19 their report was presented to the Court of Common Pleas of Madison County, which appointed Patrick McLene director to lay off a town upon this land and name it London. This was accordingly done, two inlots, Nos. 9 and 10," on the corner of Main and Main Cross streets," being reserved for the court house and jail. The name of the latter street has since been changed to High. The plat was recorded September 13, 1811, and the lots sold by Patrick McLene, or under his direction. After this occurred, not another word appears on record about the town of Madison, outside of bills presented to the Commissioners and paid by them, for selecting and laying off said town, as well as for viewing and marking roads leading thereto. For further particulars of this event we refer the reader to the history of London, where will be found a complete record of the transactions connected with the selection and platting of the county seat.