The Sonoma Developmental Center in Eldridge, CA
I don't have any pictures, because I didn't realize the significance of the Sonoma Developmental Center until we had driven well past it. We were in the area to visit the Jack London State Historic Park in nearby Glen Ellen. We drove through the small town of Eldridge and noticed some unusual buildings that I assumed were military-related. At lunch, my friend and I read about the town and the shocking history of the Sonoma Developmental Center, which was a state-run facility for people with developmental disabilities. It operated from 1891 to 2018. It was the site of forced sterilizations of "feeble-minded" people. There were also studies on residents assessing the effects of radiation. There is an article on Wikipedia, which describes this and other instances of abuse. It is horrifying, but not surprising. I'm old enough to remember when children with any type of disability simply did not attend public school and were shunted ...
