In the last half of the nineteenth century, Madison was a community on the wane economically. Jobs had shifted to the manufacturing centers, and young people followed the jobs. When the growing middle class discovered that Madison was a good place to spend their newfound leisure time, the economy of Madison was revived. The community embraced the opportunity that the summer colonists brought, and soon Madison was promoted as the "Gem of the Connecticut Shore." This intriguing exhibition revealed the ways that the community responded to the needs and desires of the vacationers and cottagers who came to the shoreline for rest and recreation.