In 1854, Washington's legislature made counties responsible for caring for all poor, sick, and homeless people whose relatives could not support them. Counties could build workhouses or poor farms and contract out the care of sick and indigent adults. From 1877 to 1887, King County contracted with the Sisters of Charity of Providence, a Roman Catholic order, to operate a poor farm and poor house on the Duwamish River, south of downtown Seattle.

This photo, taken sometime around 1927, shows two Sisters of Providence in the garden of a building at the King County Poor Farm. It is possible that the sisters visited the poor farm as part of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Providence Hospital in 1887.

Webster & Stevens number: 122275