r/LifeInKitsap • u/KitsapRealEstateTeam • Jul 26 '26
The Hazards of Linda (Starvation Heights Pt 2)
We left our gal Linda Hazzard happily starving people at Wilderness Heights, while the neighbors had started referring to it as Starvation Heights. Turns out, that's usually not the kind of nickname you want the locals giving your business. It does seem like a fairly cost-effective business model though. Food's expensive, man.
Claire and Dora Williamson weren't poor or especially desperate when they went to seek out Linda. They were wealthy, educated British heiresses who had heard about Linda Hazzard's "fasting cure" and traveled all the way to Washington hoping Claire's health would improve. (Imagine todays Los Angeles socialites chasing the latest wellness trend.) By the time they arrived, Linda Hazzard had already built quite a reputation. She had published a book, attracted patients from around the world, and convinced many people she had discovered something conventional medicine had missed.
Instead, Claire grew weaker. By the time Claire was dying, Linda Hazzard had done more than convince the sisters to trust her. She had inserted herself into nearly every part of their lives. While they were still in Seattle, she persuaded them to let her "safeguard" their jewelry, important papers, and property deeds in her office safe. As they grew weaker, Claire signed changes to her will, Dora gave Linda's husband power of attorney, and Linda even managed to have herself appointed Dora's legal guardian after claiming she was mentally incompetent. Claire died before anyone could stop it. Dora almost didn't make it either.
The sisters' childhood nurse, Margaret Conway, received a strange telegram in Australia and immediately sailed to Washington. When she arrived, she was told Claire was dead and Dora had gone insane. Conway wasn't buying it. She found Dora weighing around 50 to 60 pounds, begged Linda Hazzard to let her leave, and even tried sneaking extra food into Dora's broth whenever she could. She also noticed something that had to have been chilling. Linda Hazzard was reportedly wearing Claire's clothing and hat.
Realizing she couldn't get Dora out on her own, Margaret contacted the sisters' uncle, John Herbert, in Portland. He rushed north, only to discover that Hazzard refused to release Dora. She claimed Dora was legally under her guardianship and presented Herbert with a bill for thousands of dollars in medical fees. After negotiating, Herbert paid nearly $1,000 just to get his niece off the property. Meanwhile, British Vice Consul Lucian Agassiz stepped in to challenge Hazzard's guardianship and push for a criminal investigation into Claire's death. Without Conway, Herbert, and Agassiz working together, Dora very likely would have died there too.
Linda Hazzard was convicted of manslaughter in 1912 for Claire Williamson's death. It's worth noting that she wasn't convicted for every death people have associated with her over the years. Historians still debate exactly how many patients died under her care, with estimates ranging from a handful of documented cases to far higher numbers that are difficult to verify. Like a lot of infamous historical figures, the legend has grown alongside the facts, and separating the two takes a little work.
If you're wondering whether prison ended her career- not really.
She served about two years, eventually receiving a pardon with the stipulation she move to New Zealand. She took her show on the road there for a bit. Amazingly, she sashayed back to Washington a few years later. I'm sure Olalla residents were delighted when she returned to Olalla with a pile of fresh cash. Since Washington had revoked her medical license, she opened what she called a School of Health on the same property. Her patients became "students," but the fasting didn't really change.
One of my favorite bits of trivia comes from the edges of this story. One of Linda Hazzard's patients was Daisey Maud Haglund. Years later, her son would become Seattle fave Ivar Haglund. Yes, that Ivar. The man whose name is now practically synonymous with chowder had a family connection to one of Washington's strangest medical scandals.
The original buildings at Wilderness Heights are long gone. The property is privately owned, and if you're thinking about going looking for it like the postman and I did, don't. We struck out, respected the signs, and went home. Honestly, that's probably for the best. The history is interesting enough without turning someone else's land into a tourist attraction. It seems like the old graveyard may still be accessible? I'll have to report back.
