Uncovering Northern State Hospital's hidden cemetery

In this episode of Invisible Histories, hosts Cari and Elke visit the Northern State Hospital Cemetery in Sedro-Woolley, WA — a serene field off Highway 20, holding many unidentified graves of more than 1,600 people once confined to Washington’s largest mental institution. Some of the patients’ graves have visible numbers and initials, while many more have sunken under the thick grass or have been damaged by weather.We’re joined by John Horne, a local historian who has spent years painstakingly researching, mapping, and restoring the site. John shares stories of forgotten patients, missing records, and the evolving effort to honor those buried here — and reveals how advocacy, memory, and truth-telling intersect in the work of remembrance. Learn more:Northern State Hospital webpageFriends of Northern State Hospital Facebook PageNorthern State Hospital Cemetery Facebook GroupFinding Lillian Documentary: The lost patients of Washington’s abandoned mental hospitalDuwamish Poor Farm Memorial Project"Under the Red Roof, One Hundred Years at Northern State Hospital" by M J McGoffin.Northern State Hospital Wikipedia pageAtlas Obscura article about Northern State Hospital and CemeterySeattle Times article about Northern State Cemetery July 23, 2025The Ghosts of Northern State Mental Hospital. Washington StateCredits:Episode recorded on site at Northern State Hospital CemeteryEdited by Elke HautalaCover art: Hugh Garrity's grave marker who died in 1911; design by Cari SimsonMusic: Uppbeat.io: Stand and Be True by A Path UntoldCari Simson and Elke Hautala formed Invisible Histories to visually and viscerally connect the public to experiences from the past. Their Invisible Histories podcast unearths diverse local stories and forgotten places. www.invisible-histories.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.