LOST PATIENTS OF WASHINGTON’S ABANDONED NORTHERN STATE HOSPITAL

Some 70 miles north of Seattle, the remains of hundreds of former psychiatric patients lie in unmarked graves. The cemetery often floods in wetter times of the year, causing grave markers to sink out of view. This muddy plot of land reflects a legacy of neglect for more than a century. Investigative reporter Sydney Brown tells the story of vulnerable people who were once committed to Northern State Hospital, and the efforts being made now to recover lost records and restore the grounds.

In the early days of reporting, I accompanied Brown and self-appointed cemetery caretaker John Horne, carefully mapping the historic hospital campus and cemetery’s visible and sunken grave markers. See the print maps below, or explore the interactive version.

The original multimedia package was published on July 16, 2023, in The Seattle Times. The story has received many honors, including Feature Winner in the Online Journalism Awards and Second Place in Online Presentation in Best of the West. “Beautiful visuals and great digital design. “Really enjoyed the inline embedding of the audio clips (i.e. where it says Cunk, you can play and hear them doing it),” the judge wrote. “Love the various entry points, especially the reporter’s notebook. Great package all around, can really see the time and care spent on an overlooked subject.”