Around 1911, patients from the overcrowded mental hospital at Fort Steilacoom reportedly arrived by train in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, to help build, on a nearby site, what would soon become the state’s largest institution for the insane. Allegedly insane would be more polite. The history of the hospital is complicated with both horror stories and happier stories, but I’ll leave the more shadowy stuff to readers to delve into on their own. You can find a good starting point here.
I will mention, however, one of the better known gentlemen who resided at Northern State for a time, Northwest author-journalist John Patric (1902-1985). There’s a fascinating Wikipedia entry for him that quickly had me recalling the rebellious Randle Patrick McMurphy in Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
At its peak, the hospital housed more than two thousand patients, finally closing in 1973 during a period of public skepticism over the institutional treatment of those in need of emotional or psychiatric support. Even lobotomies were not out of the question. The facility also included extensive farmland and was largely self sufficient. In fact, it’s the 726 acres of farmland acquired by Skagit County in 1991 that is now accessible to the public as a major regional park. A simple search online for the Northern State Recreation Area will get you some added details and directions.
If you haven’t been to Northern State, it’s well worth a visit. You can walk or casually bike the many excellent trails, often built by volunteers, and explore the century-old architecture preserved at the site, some of it restored, some vandalized or in ruins. Interpretive signs are found within the historic core of the complex.
From the main parking area and veterans memorial plaza on Helmick Road, the old buildings are easy to find. The trailhead kiosk includes some brief history and a good map of the trail system, with squeaky-clean restrooms close by. If a suggestion helps for a good walk, we especially enjoyed the North Knob-Pumphouse Trail loop.
