The faded CAPT MADISON sign (see photo) has been attached to the side of a blue house in Silverdale for decades. While photographing it during my bike ride today, I wondered yet again who or what Captain Madison was.
The “Captain Madison” house (my name for it) is at the south end of town just north of the roundabout where Chico Way and Newberry Hill Road merge. The property fronts on Silverdale Way and has a killer view of Dyes Inlet.
The sign is about 6 feet by 9 feet. “CAPT MADISON” and “DRINK” are the only words on it, although there’s a drawing of either a soda or beer bottle in the lower right corner. The rest of the sign is empty, almost like additional advertising still needs to be painted on. If so, it’s been a long wait. My guess is that the sign is from the mid-20th century.
The CAPT MADISON sign is mounted on the north side of the house and is only noticeable as you are leaving town. Because a business would most likely put its sign at the front of the building, I wonder if a business was ever located there. However, it’s possible that the sign was moved to the side of the house decades ago after the business shuttered. There’s some extra parking in front of the building but not a lot.
Or did the current or past owner of the house salvage the sign from a remote location and relocate it to save a historical decoration? Was there ever a local business in Kitsap County (like a tavern or roadhouse) called CAPT MADISON that was named for its proprietor? Or was the name chosen because the business catered to Navy members and others in the maritime industries and wanted a nautical name? One other possibility: Perhaps the sign was supposed to be a mid-century beer or soda advertising motif.
Hopefully, the good people at the Kitsap County Historical Society & Museum can help solve this mystery.
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