Hello -- and welcome to “Invisible Histories” exploring Seattle’s lost stories, with Cari and Elke - Episode #1

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. 

In our first series we explore the ‘lost’ Potter’s Field, also known as the Duwamish Cemetery established in 1876 on land next to the King County Poor Farm and Hospital in what is now the Georgetown neighborhood. In just over 30 years over 3,260 people were buried there; people who due to lack of money, family or other connections had nowhere else to go when they died. 

In 1912 the Army Corps of Engineers embarked on the ambitious “Duwamish Canal,” turning the river’s meandering curves into a 5-mile shipping channel and turning “useless mudflats” into industrial land. The Duwamish Cemetery aka “Potter’s Field” was erased from maps and memories, all 3260 human remains were exhumed and cremated, and covered with industrial businesses .

In Episode #1 Elke and Cari share their research experiences, and why this story of finding the lost cemetery is connected to many aspects of Seattle's growth and development.

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Our Instagram account will share images from each episode, @invisiblehistoriesPNW

We are always looking for “invisible histories” of the Pacific NW; please reach out at [email protected].

Our podcast music is from Samuel Coleridge Taylor's (1875 - 1912) Funeral March, Op. 79 Nº 3 (from Othello, Incidental Music)

Recorded at Works Progress Cooperative

Edited by Elke Hautala

2023

Resources:

Friends of Georgetown History: www.foghi.org

HistoryLink article about Georgetown

King County Archives: https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/depts/records-licensing/archives

4Culture: https://www.4culture.org/ 

King5 Evening's coverage of the Potter's Field: https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/seattle-georgetown-cemetery-mystery-missing-bodies-remains-graves/281-4a5f7ebf-c596-4ab8-8c22-54727e5af11f

Paul Dorpat - Seattle Waterfront history

https://pauldorpat.com/2009/07/09/seattle-waterfront-history-chapter-7/

Cari 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

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