7 Places in Oregon to Find Ghosts
Looking for haunted places in Oregon? There’s certainly no shortage. From tunnels beneath Portland to a beachside highway, the Beaver State is full of ghost-ridden locales. Here are seven of the most frightening.
Lafayette Pioneer Cemetery – Lafayette
According to local legend, an unknown woman in the distant past was accused of witchcraft and hanged in Lafayette. In another legend, the woman was a gypsy and it was her son who hanged. Either way, the people of Lafayette angered an evil woman, and she cursed the town, saying it would burn three times before the curse was complete. So far, Lafayatte has been plagued by fire twice, or so the story goes, with a third yet to come. Today, the affronted woman’s ghost is said to chase visitors from the historic Layfaette Cemetery, scratching at their necks and slashing their hands.
Multnomah Falls – Columbia River Gorge
Over two million tourists visit Oregon’s majestic Multnomah Falls each year, but few have heard of the Indian maiden who reportedly haunts the majestic landmark.
The story goes something like this. A young Indian woman leaped from the top of the falls to save her village from sickness. Now, the selfless maiden’s ghost lingers below a bridge spanning the tumbling water. She most often appears underwater, her pale face gazing up from just below the surface. The woman is most active in winter, the season that she died.
Willamette River – Portand
On the Willamette River, a mournful foghorn signals the appearance of a ghostly ship. The spectral vessel is only visible for a few seconds before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Other than the foghorn, which locals have described as “chilling,” “haunting,” and “sorrowful,” the ship makes no sound. It instead silently glides down the river with no souls visible on deck.
Shanghai Tunnels – Portland
A series of tunnels beneath Portland once enabled the practice of “Shanghai-ing,” in which men and women were drugged, transported through the tunnels, and onto a waiting ship. There, the victims would be forced into slavery and transported to places like China. The kidnappings didn’t also go smoothly, however, and people commonly died in the dark, tunnels. Some say their ghosts remain.
The spirit of a former prostitute named Nina reportedly lurks beneath a pizza restaurant. Visitors touring the tunnels report smelling her perfume or feeling her hands tugging at their clothing. Moans, wails, and sobbing sounds are also common.
Candy Cane Park – La Grande
This sweetly named park has a dark side. In the early 1980s, a young woman was murdered in the park. It seems the assailant tried to remove her head with a hatchet. Now, the victim lurks at the site of her demise to warn others of danger. The ghost was particularly fond of the park’s merry-go-round, but officials removed it several years ago. Now, the restless spirit haunts the park’s benches and swing sets.
Crescent Mines – Sumpter
The subject of the Syfy Channel’s Ghost Mine, Crescent Mines is reportedly haunted by the men who died there during the Gold Rush. While filming the show’s two-season run, miners and investigators encountered “phantom wind,” shadowy figures, and even a full-figured apparition. According to a common superstition among miners, spirits known as Tommy Knockers dwell in mines to play pranks or warn of an impending collapse. Is Crescent Mines home to its own Tommy Knockers?
Highway 101 – Cannon Beach
A chilling figure known as Bandage Man haunts Highway 101 near Cannon Beach. Legend has it the appalling figure is covered in bloodied bandages and reeks of rotten flesh. Slow-moving vehicles attract his attention, and heaven help any vehicles that break down on the road after dark. No one’s sure who, or what, Bandage Man is, though some claim he’s a logger who died in a freak accident.
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