George Town Potter's Field

Georgetown Potter’s Field in Seattle was a pauper cemetery where the poor, unidentified, and unclaimed were buried from the late 1800s into the early 1900s. As the city expanded, the graves were poorly documented, partially relocated, and eventually built over, leaving many remains beneath modern industrial sites. Today, the former burial ground stands as a reminder of early Seattle’s forgotten and marginalized residents.

Special shout-out to Invisible Histories Podcast — a phenomenal show amplifying voices and experiences that too often go unheard. If you’re not already listening, go check them out and give them some love.

Reference List

1. Invisible Histories. “A Return to the Potter’s Field.” Episode, Acast. Acast

2. Invisible Histories. “Seattle’s ‘Lost’ Potter’s Field / Duwamish Cemetery.” Potter’s Field Project, Invisible-Histories.com. Invisible Histories

3. Simson, Cari, and Elke Hautala. “The Toxic Legacy of Seattle’s Lost Cemetery.” Seattle Met. Seattle Met

4. “Duwamish Cemetery (1876–1912).” HistoryLink. HistoryLink

5. “How Do You Lose 3,200 Dead People?” The Stranger. The Stranger

6. “Potter’s Field.” Friends of Georgetown History (FOGHI). foghi.org

7. “King County Hospital begins operation in Georgetown in May 1877.” HistoryLink. HistoryLink

8. “Historic Cemeteries of Seattle and King County.” HistoryLink. HistoryLink

9. “Georgetown, Seattle.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia

10. “Georgetown Time Machine: Burying Ground Ruins.” The Georgetown Metropolitan. georgetownmetropolitan.com