Meet William Hoppy. Born in November 1903, Hoppy was convicted of Grand Larceny and sentenced to 2-15 years in the State Reformatory. Hoppy was 25 years old at the time of sentencing and worked in Grays Harbor as a hoist, or crane, engineer. In the metadata on his page at the archives, we also see that he was not a Washington native, but was born in Missouri. The Washington State Parole Board released Hoppy a little less than two years into his sentence, which apparently was a mistake, as a search on the archives main page for “William Hoppy” shows he was arrested again in 1930. By then, Hoppy had moved from Grays Harbor to Yakima, and was charged with Burglary. For William Hoppy, reform did not take.

The Corrections Department, Reformatory, Admissions Registers, 1908-1923 contains many stories about individuals such as Hoppy. These criminal records, in many cases, provide a glimpse into the lives of citizens and family members from the past. They are perfect for research and general interest. Do your own search today. Grandpa may surprise you!