We know where the bodies were buried!
Listen to our Podcast
Invisible Histories explores the lost stories of Seattle and the Pacific NW with Cari Simson and Elke Hautala.
In this podcast we explore lost stories of marginalized people, hidden histories of forgotten places, and generally unearth some cool, creepy, and hopefully meaningful connections for people living and working in the Seattle area and beyond.
Our Instagram account will share images from each episode: @invisiblehistoriesPNW
We are always looking for “invisible histories” of the Pacific NW so if you have a good story idea please reach out at invisiblehistoriespnw@gmail.com.
Recorded at Works Progress Cooperative www.worksprogress.coop
Edited by Elke Hautala
(c) 2023
Georgetown's "Lost" Cemetery
Unearthing the Invisible Histories...
The King County Poor Farm Cemetery, also known as the Duwamish Cemetery, was where 3,260 people were buried from 1876-1912.
The Cemetery was located on a knoll overlooking a bend in the Duwamish River.
All 3,260 of the burial grounds’ inhabitants were exhumed and cremated in 1912 to make way for the Duwamish River straightening and industrial development. Their ashes were mishandled in a manner deemed “beyond understanding” by the State Auditor’s 1913 Report, leading to mysteries surrounding the entire Cemetery closure process.
Click here to check out our "Walking Tour Glimpse" video, available on our Youtube channel. This idea will be developed in 2024 - stay tuned!
Researchers Elke Hautala and Cari Simson presented at the 2023 Pacific Northwest Historians Guild in September 2023 - you can watch the video of their presentation here, and learn about the Guild here.
Click here to read the October 26, 2023 Seattle Met article, "The Toxic Legacy of Seattle's Lost Cemetery"
Click here to watch Elke Hautala's short video from 2022, "3,260 Souls," about the Duwamish Cemetery or "Potter's Field." How does one feel and experience what has been "lost" to history? This is an audiovisual exploration of visibility, marginalization and the damage wrought by industrialization at any cost.
Click here to watch the King5 Evening segment February 23, 2023, "What Happened to the Remains of 3,260 People?"
Click here for a link to the recorded Zoom presentation (February 2023) that uncovered the mysteries surrounding the Duwamish Cemetery aka The Potter's Field.
Researchers Elke Hautala and Cari Simson shared the Potter's Field history and a few stories of some of those buried in the Potter's Field, most notably Ingo Singh (birth unknown-1908), possibly one of the first of the Sikh religion in Seattle, and Thomas Blanck (1870-1895), the "Jesse James of the Pacific NW."
Contact us for a link to our report, "The Duwamish Cemetery: Georgetown's Potter's Field."