Haunted Washington: The Northern State Insane Asylum
Vacationing in 2020
This time last year, we were snorkeling with sharks in Belize But here we are.
The Northern State Hospital Recreation Area is a public park spanning 1086 acres in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, about 90 minutes from Seattle. Upon first glance it’s 5 miles of maintained walking trails, a frisbee golf course, and picnic facilities with a stunning backdrop of the Cascade mountain range. Then, surprise, a crumbling, abandoned mental institution with serious One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest vibes.
What Are You In For?
The hospital opened in 1912 to accommodate hundreds of individuals deemed mentally ill. And I’m sure some actually were. Epilepsy, addiction, excessive worrying, and menopause, maladies that thankfully would no longer be considered insane, could have had you committed. More jail than wellness vibes, many were court committed psychotics. Several were here involuntarily for reasons unknown. Those unwillingly committed were not always happy to comply with rules often resulting in confinement and physical restraint. Straight jackets sewn by the patients themselves were used on the unruly. Pretty sure this kind of treatment could turn anyone mad.
Shock treatments and psychosurgeries were not uncommon. Lobotomies were administered, turning spirited patients into zombies. Hydrotherapy sounds like a fancy spa treatment, but it involves being held down in ice cold water. Tales abound of inexperienced hospital personnel given too much responsibility. Many of the doctors were displaced from Nazi occupied countries and although they couldn’t get a proper medical license in the states, working at mental institutions was still legal.
Forgotten Souls
No matter what day you visit, sunny or otherwise, the cemetery is a muddy marshland. Caskets were topped with rocks when buried to prevent them from floating to the surface. In a lackluster field behind the old gymnasium lies the remains of 1487 humans. It makes you wonder — How did they die? Why weren’t their bodies claimed? Where are the headstones? The second I walked through the metal archway and set foot on the soggy grass, I had an overwhelming feeling of nausea. Danny wouldn’t go in at all.
Causes of death ranged from comas, falling off buildings, botched medical procedures, suicides, old age, and pneumonia. The crematorium was kept busy until closing in 1955. Years later, hundreds of food tins containing unclaimed cremated remains were discovered. No names marked, just patient numbers. Clearly during this time there was a devastatingly limited understanding of mental illness. Families didn’t always return to claim the bodies of loved ones due to the stigma. In 2004, students from Sedro-Woolley High School erected a plaque honoring their lives.
2020 Has Made Us All Crazy
In its day, the Northern State Hospital was comprised of four wards connected by a series of underground tunnels. Screams reverberated from the wards housing the most violent. Although violent prisoners patients were isolated and locked down, the criminally insane were a minority at Northern State. Others had much more freedom. The sprawling property was never fenced in and patients were often free to roam the land or sneak into town. They would also be found hiding in the trees or barns. Some managed to escape, never to be found.
I might have arrived in ghost hunter mode, but I left thinking more about the human stories. This past year has made us all crazy. Let’s look forward to a happy 2021 and hopefully lots more actual travel here on the blog.
