Anderson

City administrative headquarters of Madison County, east-central Indiana; population (2000) 59,700. It is located 50 km/31 mi northeast of Indianapolis, on the west fork of the White River. Industries include car accessories, industrial machinery, and food products. Firefighting vehicles, tile, bedding, paperboard and cardboard, castings, glass, and tools are also produced locally.

Anderson was founded in 1823 on the site of an American Indian village, and is named after a chief of the Delaware tribe known as Captain Anderson. It was incorporated as a city in 1865 and developed rapidly after the discovery of natural gas in 1886. Anderson University was founded in 1917. The prehistoric earthworks of Mounds State Park are 5 km/3 mi to the east of the city.