Fact and Fiction at the
King County Stockade
The King County Stockade, known to some as the "Lazy Husband Farm" or "Lazy Husbands Ranch", was once just a few miles from downtown Redmond.
From 1916 to 1932, this small prison was located on the King County Farm in Northwest Redmond. It housed low risk and largely non-violent offenders, who worked on a variety of public projects and could be assigned tasks on the the farm property.
Prisoners grew crops and tended to a herd of dairy cows, the orchards and grain fields. However, perhaps one of the most recognizable projects they completed is the construction of NE 116th Street. This road connects Willows Road to Redmond-Woodinville Highway, and is still in use today.
Until now, much of the information about the prison in our collection was published well after the Stockade shut down, and relied heavily on oral histories or personal recollections from folks who lived nearby. These memories are invaluable, but provide a limited view of the Stockade's history.
A LOCAL LEGEND
The Stockade had developed quite a reputation over the years.
In fact, the article below calls it a "prisoner's utopia". Stories like this often claimed prisoners were happy to be away from all the responsibilities of family life, and that they were able to make (and enjoy) moonshine in the prison with few repercussions, despite prohibition.
How accurate are these stories? This exhibit examines newspaper articles, census records and other resources to provide more details about the inner workings of the Stockade, and a closer look at the lives of those who were imprisoned there.
