Old Western State Hospital

Today I was at the site of the old Western State (mental) Hospital in Steilacoom, WA. 3,200 patients are buried in the cemetery there, many of them with only a small stone marker bearing a number. However, some graves are being marked with stones showing the name and birth and death year of the patient as a way of restoring some respect to these unfortunate people. This is one of them. I am sure Sam had a Chinese last name but perhaps had no family to impart that information when he was hospitalized. Or perhaps the family was ashamed of his illness. I always wonder about the histories of these people and how many of them died unremembered by their own families.