Lenora, Independence The town of Independence is said to be very haunted and there are few locals who have not had a personal experience of Lenora! Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Though the Mary D. Hume was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, nothing has been done to preserve the ship, and it will likely crumble completely into the sea at some point. Original builder Isadore St. Martin was killed in 1910 on the grounds, and it's said that his wife Margaret died of loneliness a short time later. Leaving I-84, the first such spot you'll come upon is the town of Boyd, just 12 miles southeast of The Dalles. The water tank, along with the 10-foot letters spelling Crown Flour that stood on the roof, made the facility an instantly recognizable local landmark. Deep in the woods of Forest Park sits an old abandoned house that said to be the home of nightly hauntings. It is another great old building that apparently doesn't have enough history to make the list of historic places Still it always earns a look when I am walking through the", "My Son and walked over the Oregon Holocaust Memorial from the Rose Garden and I'm glad we did. A few businesses are still operating, including a quaint diner and an antique store, and there are also guided tours that provide insight on the towns former prosperity and slow decline. Now she is the citys most famous ghost and is responsible for earning Old Town Pizza a reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in Portland! Large numbers of residents passed away due to sickness epidemics and their spirits seem to have lingered in the property. As early as 1864, the resort town of La Grande was a haven for the well-to-do, with its bucolic scenery and naturally warm waters of the nearby lake. In 1983, despite the fact that the facility was 76 percent complete, construction was indefinitely put on hold after backers failed to sell around $1 billion in bonds to finish the job. If youre a fan of shipwrecks and want to add another location to your abandoned places in Oregon repertoire, we highly recommend seeking out the wreck of the Peter Iredale. The ships crew navigated ably through heavy fog and arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River near dawn on October 25. Built between 1906 and 1911, the railroad stretches 101 miles across the center of Oregon, all the way to the west coast, terminating in in Tillamook. The facility quickly became known for its impressive output350,000 board-feet produced on each eight-hour shiftas well as its distinctive kiln-drying process. Please leave your valid email address below. We had complaints on a weekly basis and they were never resolved. To help him clear the land, Balch hired Mortimer Stump, who moved into the family cabin and eventually developed a romantic relationship with Balchs daughter Anna. There are tourist tours of the tunnels that use the term, but Blalock wrote that theres no evidence that was the purpose of the underground labyrinth. Many reported hauntings in Oregon are linked to such historic places as the Oregon Trail and early coastal communities. The property passed through multiple owners in the subsequent decades and was eventually donated to the City of Portland. If you want to see the shuttered Blue Heron Paper Mill campus in Oregon City, youd better move quickly. Known as 'Laura', the spirit often appears to children, and is regarded as a motherly presence. Staff and customers report occasionally objects will be pushed off shelves by an unseen force. The propertys history begins on a sour note with its original owner of record, Danford Balch, who purchased a vast swath of land in the area as Portland was first being developed. Some sceptics have dismissed the sound as a fog horn from a nearby railway bridge, but this does not explain the apparition of the ship so paranormal fans are not willing to accept that particular explanation. With fewer employees needed to manage the operation of the powerhouse and associated facilities, the towns population dropped to just a few dozen full-time residents. At its peak in the 1880s, the town was also home to five saloons and a popular brass band. Everything you could possibly want to know about urban exploration and exploring abandoned places can be found at Killer Urbex. With a reputation for being slightly quirky, its no surprise that Oregon is a gold mine for interesting and unusual abandoned places to visit and explore. Hotel rooms are barricaded by furniture from the inside of the hotel rooms when no one is inside. The trip takes roughly nine hours of driving and can be spread out over as many days and nights as youd like. Love Oregon? You will receive your first email soon. Nonetheless, the rusted wreckage is a huge tourist draw to the northern coast of Oregon. Abandoned Places In Las Vegas 1. The room is apparently haunted by the spirit of a firefighter named David Campbell who was killed in the line of duty. Let's take a few minutes to explore the 13 most haunted places in Oregon: 13. With Portland Ghost Tours, you can also explore some of the most ghost-infested places. The ship was abandoned there, and though nature has continued to batter its remains over the past 100-plus years, its skeleton is still easily visible from shore and can even be reached on foot during low tide. Doors slamming and running footsteps in the women's restroom of this small restaurant. A piano downstairs has been known to play by itself and customers have reported hearing the sound of heavy breathing when nobody else is around. Established in the late 1890s, Fort Casey in Coupeville, Washington, quickly became obsolete. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Learn more on the haunted hotels in Portland OR. Shortly after the guns were installed, however, the advent of the military aircraft rendered the fort vulnerable to attack from above. These were security measures designed for dealing with both rival tongs and police raids.". Just west of the mighty Multnomah Falls along the Columbia River Highway, the former town of Latourell was once a thriving logging community founded by Joseph Latourell. At Killer Urbex, we strive to ensure that those interested in exploring abandoned locations and general urban exploration have the tools and information necessary to do so. When the mill began operation in 1924, the towns population had swelled to more than 1,500, thanks in large part to the promise of good jobs and economic prosperity that the mill provided. Find museums in Portland, OR, Tigard Evangelical Cemetery - Canterbury Hill Cemetery, Lenora's Ghost - Mangiare Italian Restaurant. These range from the ghosts of a former call girl named Rose and a pre-prohibition bartender named Sam to the trapped souls of innocent people who fell foul of the infamous Shanghai Tunnels. The bike actually belonged to a guy named Don Puz, who did indeed leave the bicycle in the forest as a young boy in the mid-1950s. Save yourself with a headlamp, one of the most versatile pieces of urbex gear. Built in the early 1900s, the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad used to run 101 miles from the place for which it's named, through the coastal mountain range and into Portland. But it also sits on private property and is extremely dangerous due to structural instability. The remote town of Cornucopia, Oregon, rose up 67 miles northeast of Baker City in the 1870s and '80s after the discovery of gold in the area. His apparition, as well as that of a woman who runs across a nearby bridge, have been seen. The twelve story hotel was built in 1913, and has experienced haunting ever since then. Dive in to start exploring. The Oregon State Hospital, formerly known as the Oregon State Insane Asylum in Salem, was built in 1883. The facility was closed in the mid 1970s and some of the buildings were torn down. The areas said to be haunted here are the upstairs sports den and the Canyon Room. Most of the tracks lie dormant, but Richard Gitschlag, president of the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, said steam engines still chug up and down the tracks between Tillamook, Garibaldi and Wheeler, when the weather allows. Below are 15 spots you shouldnt miss on your next trip to this offbeat corner of the Pacific Northwest. The structure sustained severe damage in a 1962 storm, and the city opted to abandon it instead of repair it. However, this is by no means the only paranormal activity that happens at Kells! This restaurant sits on top of the Shanghai Tunnels in Portland OR where thousands disappeared. By 1960, however, postmaster Rachel Looney and her husband, Primrose, were the only remaining residents. "However, the likelihood of any of them being shanghaied via tunnel is nil. It was built by the Pacific Railway and Navigation Company, sometimes called PR&N, which railway workers took to mean punk, rotten and nasty, due to the muddy and wet conditions under which they worked. Portland, the state's largest city and metropolitan area, was considered one of the most dangerous port cities in the world at the turn of the 20th century. In the early days, the saloon was so renowned for violent brawls that it was nicknamed bucket of blood! The Blue Heron Paper Company was spun off from parent company Smurfit Stone in 2000 and used the Oregon City facility to transform recycled paper products into newsprint, bags, paper towels and placemats for fast food restaurants. (Submitted by Callum Swift). But dont forget, check the legality before you go or face the consequences. McMenamins Kennedy School 1467 Hotels Cinema Pubs $$Concordia "An Oregon staple, with over 50 locations each taking over abandoned historical buildings and putting." more Outdoor seating 2. This place was once an asylum for the old, disabled, and mentally challenged and people believe that many of its former A portrait of an apparition seen by many employees is on prominent display in the 1922 Grand Lodge. The historic Wolf Creek Inn in southern Oregon was originally a stop for stagecoach travelers heading north to Portland. 10. For better or worse, the so-called Witches Castle is periodically covered in graffiti, but it's still a sight to behold. Be the first to know when we release new events, special offers, and discounts! Urban exploration can be very gear-heavy, especially when exploring abandoned places in Oregon. In 2015, local businessman Greg Newenhof purchased the derelict property with intentions of restoring the mansion and making it his main residence. The wreck will soon be visible in the water near the road. Here is an abandoned log cabin located 2.7 miles east of Mosier Oregon, along the old Gorge Highway which Leon captured Apr. Over the years, its metal body has been eroded by the salt air, painted in a coat of green moss and adorned with spray paint by a parade of graffiti artists. Boyd was founded in 1870 on the banks of Fifteen Mile Creek and named for a local miller called T.P. This building was constructed in 1905 for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. As the Wool Capital of the World, Shaniko would ship millions of pounds of wool and livestock to market each year. Slabtown Village in Northwest Portland is comprised of two historic houses and four modern tiny houses. During WWII the building served as a nurse's training school. Sadly, Newenhof never saw the realization of his vision; he died suddenly in 2018, leaving the future of the former Flavel home in its current state of uncertainty. Harry claimed self-defense at his trial and charges were dismissed, but his new nickname of Hatchet Harry endured. From ghost towns to shipwrecks, this road trip adventure will take you to some truly fascinating destinations. Where are there other abandoned places in Oregon? The last remnants of the former lumber mill operated by the Oregon-American Lumber Company are still visible beneath a blanket of fallen leaves, moss and graffiti in a densely wooded area outside the small town of Vernonia. The ghost towns you see dotting the map of Oregon were once thriving communities, filled with people who followed their dreams here. All in all, it should come as no surprise that this potentially haunted location made the list of the best abandoned places in Oregon. Learn about Portland's dark history and hear stories about the resident ghost, Nina. The ghost of a woman in a white dress has also been seen in the restroom. Witnesses say late at night their shoulders have been touched or a shadowy figure has appeared going down the hall. Mental institutions, which saw their own horror stories while they were in use, now sit in disrepair. Because of their rich history in illegal activity, these tunnels are said to be active with spirits of all kinds. We seem to have an attachment to the buildings and structures from yesteryear. If there is one type of paranormal occurrence that really gives us the chills then we would probably have to say ghost ship phenomenon! Given the location of the bike within the tree and the manner in which trees actually grow, its quite unlikely the bicycle ended up in its current position through the trees naturally enveloping it and growing around it, Snopes wrote. The historic area, particularly some of the nearby houses in Officers' Row, is believed to be haunted. As you might imagine, many of the people who were kidnapped ended up dying in the tunnels before they could be moved on and is the souls of these innocent victims who are said to be haunting the tunnels. Though it is officially identified by Portland Parks and Recreation as the Stone House, the high school students who frequented it gave it the enduring nickname the Witchs Castle. Located in Portlands Forest Park, the buildings remains are easily accessible via well-maintained paths from either the Upper Macleay Parking Lot near the Audubon Society or the Lower Macleay Parking Lot located at NW 30th Street and Upshur Street. It's hard to compile a short list of the most haunted places near Portland, since there are so many! portalId: "5317100", Needless to say, insuring an old dilapidated bridge is not easy and the future of the span remains unclear. I will never get the awful sound of those fire alarms which went off several times while we lived here. Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments below! Her apparition is said to appear here, and the ghost is blamed for moving the air conditioning system controls to turn up the heat. Room 703 is a favorite of his. The Welches Roadhouse was said to be haunted by a woman who killed herself when she jumped in despair from a second-story door used for snowdrifts. Have you come across some sites in Oregon that are slowly returning to nature? 30, 2016. Finish up with three tasters and 1 pint of Old Town Brewery's internationally award-winning beer. Most of its original structures, which date back to the dawn of the 20th century, remain in place, albeit vacant and time-worn. The apparition of a man and his dog have been seen in the park. Carey was upset that he had been replaced as by a scion of town founder Levi Westfall and so decided to "shoot up" the main strip. The property was purchased by the Portland Development Commission in 2000, and one of the warehouses was renovated to serve the Portland Mounted Police. Over the first half of the 20th century, the towns population plummeted as the regions once-booming timber industry began to disappear. We have a lot of ideas for you. The apparition of a young girl has been seen and heard throughout the caf, and often materialises during tea parties. Some say a ghost boy stands Mangiare Italian Restaurant is housed in a 1912 building that reportedly has the original wood floor, complete with blood stains from a woman who committed suicide by throwing herself through a skylight. Voices and Hotel Oregon is located in a building that opened in 1905 as Hotel Elberton. The massive cooling tower was all but complete and now holds the Satsop Business Park. Collins Beach UFO Boat 45.78369, -122.7845 Photo Credit: u/bigoritch01 - reddit.com History: A mystery sits on a not-so-lonely nudist beach on Sauvie Island's north end. This used to be a B&B and it was the subject of a documentary done by a psychic (who is apparently also an actress and "media personality"). However, those who venture inside the museum soon learn that appearances can be very deceiving. There are a number of widely reported haunted locations in every corner of Oregon. At its peak in the 1950s, the hospital housed some 2,700 patients before public sentiment began to turn against large mental institutions. Inside, they discovered that the Flavels had been hoarders, filling the stately home with trash and clutter. Due to the projected cost of modernizing the aging mill, ADM opted to shut it down completely in the late 1990s. Miners pulled roughly $18 million worth of the. Next up on this abandoned places in Oregon road trip, you'll head southeast to the lovely town of Vernonia. The town gained a sort of notorious infamy in 1912 when former marshal, Asa Carey, shot and killed Jasper Westfall, his successor, in a drunken rage. One of the most active spots is said to be Kells Cigar Room which is a space in the basement that leads directly into one of the Shanghai Tunnels. Places that were once thriving communities now sit as dust-gathering relics. Almost certainly one or more persons had a hand in moving the bike after Don abandoned it back in 1954.. Portlands Willamette River has its very own tale of a ghost ship. Events, Fall, Halloween, Weird Haunted Events Wolf Creek Inn, Wolf Creek. Image via / Wikimedia Commons / Daedrot. Love Oregon? The Old Mill in Vernonia. }); We here at Killer Urbex have noted a distinct lack of guides to dead malls and zombie malls. We just love how the photographers on this page honor the history of these places. For several years, Latourell, his wife and their eight children were the only inhabitants of the settlement. This historic building was recently renovated, which sparked a chain of ghost stories that the building is now infamous for. Fontainebleau Las Vegas 36.1375, -115.15888 History: The Fontainbleau is a massive unfinished hotel that towers over 700 feet above the Vegas strip. The old Heesaker House of Forest Grove. It was purchased. It has something to do with our wanting to connect with the past. The town of Westfall, in Malheur County, was once a thriving community with a church, three saloons, a telegraph office, a dance hall and about 140 residents. The White Eagle / Facebook Get more stories delivered right to your email. With daily output growing to more than 12,000 bushels a day in the 1920s, the company added several new warehouses, grain elevators and a new mill dedicated to the production of animal feed. However, the company office was preserved and converted into the Vernonia Pioneer Museum; the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Buildings in 2002. Men would be drugged or knocked unconscious and be dragged into the tunnels before waking up hours or even days later when they were already far out to sea having been sold to work as crew on ships. As one of them is a private home, trespassing is not permitted. Founded at the dawn of the 20th century in conjunction with the extension of the Great Southern Railroad, which spanned 41 miles between The Dalles and Dufur, the town was named for one of its earliest homesteaders, George J. These days, the population has dropped to single digits. Due to increased competition from similar operations in China and other overseas locations, Blue Heron ultimately closed the mill in 2011, abandoning the site and leaving 175 local residents unemployed. Youve done all the local haunted houses, and the local ghost tours, but have you ever stayed the night knowingly in the most haunted room in one of the most haunted hotels in Portland? Cost overruns and blown deadlines led to a change in management by 1980, but estimates to complete the project, which was actually five separate power plants, had ballooned from around $4 billion at the outset to $24 billion in just a few years. Theres something undeniably alluring about abandoned places in Oregon. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The company housing development was taken over by the City of Vernonia in 1960, and most of the mill facility was demolished around the same time. 20 in Eastern Oregon. When the newlyweds returned to Portland, Balch shot his son-in-law in the face and was eventually tried and executed for the murder. Luckily, in the state of Oregon, the laws are easy to understand and are pretty cut and dry. We are, of course, talking about the Shanghai Tunnels which run underneath a large portion of Portland.