Port Madison
Encyclopedia
Port Madison, sometimes called Port Madison Bay, is a deep water bay located on the west shore of Puget Sound
in western Washington. It is bounded on the north by Indianola
, on the west by Suquamish
, and on the south by Bainbridge Island
. Port Madison connects to Port Orchard
via the Agate Pass
to the southwest. Two small bays open off Port Madison: Miller Bay to the northwest, and another small bay to the south which, confusingly, is also called Port Madison Bay (or, locally, as the "Inner Harbor").
The inner harbor, which indents into Bainbridge Island is where the Port Madison Yacht Club is located. The Port Madison Indian Reservation
is located on the west and north shores of Port Madison.
According to various sources, the native name of the bay was either Tu-che-kup or Noo-sohk-um. On Nov. 8 1824, John Work of the Hudson's Bay Company
, while looking for potential sites for a trading post, recorded it as Soquamis Bay - a variation on the name of the Suquamish
tribe which made its home on the western shore. The Wilkes Expedition surveyed the bay on May 10, 1841 and named it for James Madison
, the 4th president of the United States.
George A. Meigs
built a lumber mill on the Bainbridge Island shore of the bay in 1854, and Port Madison was soon a booming mill town. The town of Port Madison became Kitsap County's first county seat
, but after the economic depression of the 1890s closed the mill, the seat was relocated and Port Madison became a ghost town. Today, Port Madison is a residential area and a popular destination for boaters
.
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
in western Washington. It is bounded on the north by Indianola
Indianola, Washington
Indianola is a census-designated place in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, located on the north shore of Port Madison on the Port Madison Indian Reservation, home of the Suquamish Indian Tribe. The population was 3,500 at the 2010 census...
, on the west by Suquamish
Suquamish, Washington
Suquamish is a census-designated place in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,140 at the 2010 census. Located within the Port Madison Indian Reservation, it is the burial site of Chief Seattle.-Geography:...
, and on the south by Bainbridge Island
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, and the name of the island in Puget Sound on which the city is situated...
. Port Madison connects to Port Orchard
Port Orchard
Port Orchard, part of Washington state's Puget Sound, is the strait that separates Bainbridge Island on the east from the Kitsap Peninsula on the west. It extends from Liberty Bay and Agate Pass in the north to Sinclair Inlet and Rich Passage in the south...
via the Agate Pass
Agate Pass
Agate Pass or Agate Passage is a high-current tidal strait in Puget Sound connecting Port Madison and Port Orchard. It lies between Bainbridge Island and the mainland of the Kitsap Peninsula near Suquamish. It is the northern entrance to Port Orchard, extending about one mile in a straight,...
to the southwest. Two small bays open off Port Madison: Miller Bay to the northwest, and another small bay to the south which, confusingly, is also called Port Madison Bay (or, locally, as the "Inner Harbor").
The inner harbor, which indents into Bainbridge Island is where the Port Madison Yacht Club is located. The Port Madison Indian Reservation
Port Madison Indian Reservation
The Port Madison Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in northern Kitsap County, Washington. It occupies 30.273 km² on the western and northern shores of Port Madison, and is divided into two separate parcels by Miller Bay. The unincorporated towns of Suquamish and Indianola both lie...
is located on the west and north shores of Port Madison.
According to various sources, the native name of the bay was either Tu-che-kup or Noo-sohk-um. On Nov. 8 1824, John Work of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, while looking for potential sites for a trading post, recorded it as Soquamis Bay - a variation on the name of the Suquamish
Suquamish
The Suquamish are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American Tribe, located in present-day Washington in the United States.The Suquamish are a southern Coast Salish people; they spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which belongs to the Salishan language family. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the...
tribe which made its home on the western shore. The Wilkes Expedition surveyed the bay on May 10, 1841 and named it for James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, the 4th president of the United States.
George A. Meigs
George Anson Meigs
George Anson Meigs was a prominent entrepreneur, businessman and shipbuilder in Washington Territory.He was the eighth child of Whiting Meigs and Charlotte Meigs...
built a lumber mill on the Bainbridge Island shore of the bay in 1854, and Port Madison was soon a booming mill town. The town of Port Madison became Kitsap County's first county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
, but after the economic depression of the 1890s closed the mill, the seat was relocated and Port Madison became a ghost town. Today, Port Madison is a residential area and a popular destination for boaters
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
.