Located In St Helen's historic downtown off Hwy 30, you can find the Klondike Restaurant formally the St. Helens Hotel. Constructed in 1906 and opened for business in 1910. The second floor featured the dining room, which is now the restaurant. The rest of the building is closed off to the public and mostly used for storage if used at all. When it was a hotel it mostly roomed mill workers from town. I have visited this place for dinner multiple times, both with my family and with friends. Both times I was there, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food but had no experiences or even creepy feelings. Looking into the history of this place, it is claimed that voices have been heard by both current staff and former guests of the hotel. Stories of people hearing their names whispered and nobody being near them have been told. Objects moving, electronics turning on and off and even radio volume jumping when on have all been reported by staff. Claims to activity have come from many people including the current owner who claimed to have seen a young boy sitting at the bar, when approached the child asked "dad" and then disappeared. A local police officer even claimed to see a figure standing at the top of the stairs, when he went to approach the figure, he noticed it had no body, was only a floating head and torso and then vanished. Countless claims have been reported by people walking by on seeing people in windows on the floors that are not in use and blocked off from the public. There has been no evidence in the history of the location regarding tragedy or any significant event, except for the age of the building.
My Interest in this location came about when I saw it featured on Paranormal State. I don't like watching ghost hunter shows mostly because they are annoying and staged, but the gentleman who does this show, it hot. So I do watch it from time to time. They did a feature on this restaurant and invited psychic Lorraine Warren to investigate. I am huge fan of this woman, with my love for horror movies I already knew she was the psychic who originally investigated The Amityville house, and most recently has a movie based on her called "The Conjuring".
She came in with the crew from Paranormal State and they did a three day investigation. In the episode she claims it is very active, very haunted, and she says a man was shot there.
I still don't know much more about this location. but felt it was worth mentioning.
I recently came across a local "Urban Legend" about a video game that was released in limited Portland suburbs. It was created in 1981 by a company called Sinnesloschen which is German for "sense deletion". It was a shooting/puzzle game.
The game was called Polybius.
It was apparently popular, people waited in lines to play it. People who played it experienced weird things while playing
such as hallucinations, nightmares following playing the game, nausea, headaches, blackouts and amnesia. It is rumored some even committed suicide. The game caused people to stop playing video games altogether. The owner of one of the arcades that had the game claimed men in suits would come to collect data or "records" from the game. The men in suits never collected money for renting the game to the arcades, they just came in and collected data. It is rumored that the game was a government experiment possibly in subliminal messaging. it remained out for one month, and then every arcade game suddenly disappeared. I guess one arcade had it reappear in 98' but disappeared again shortly after.
Anytime I drive down Hwy 30 coming from Corn Pass towards Portland, I see this house on a hill to the right. Apparently is has been abandoned and has restorations occurring on it for over ten years. It also recently has had some fire damage. I always wanted to know more about this house. I always point it out to anyone in the car "look at the creepy ass house coming up". It looks like the perfect setting to any horror movie, and especially set on a hill in slight country setting even in the daytime of summer it is a sight.
This location is on my list of places to visit, and visit soon.
It is apparently just a short trek of .5 miles from the parking lot located across from the Audubon society of Portland.
The story goes that In 1850, a man named Danford Balch filed a land claim on this portion of the property. His land was large enough that he hired help to clear it. He hired a transient worker named Mortimer Stump from Vancouver to help with the work. He allowed him to stay with them with his family which consisted of 9 children and a wife named Mary Jane. Mortimer stayed so long that eventually he fell in love with Danford's daughter Anna who was only 15. He asked permission to marry her but the parents refused the request. They threatened to elope and Danford threatened that if they did he would kill Mortimer. They ran off to Vancouver in 1858 and eloped anyways. This started a large feud between the Stump and the Balch families. Shortly after they eloped Anna and some other members of the Stump family returned to Portland for supplies and had a encounter with Danford.
He claimed his wife Mary Jane "bewitched" him to keep good on his threats against Mortimer's life, and wanted him to bring their daughter back home, that one night in a drunken state he pulled a shotgun out, and shot Mortimer in the head.
He was arrested, however due to the conditions of the wooden prison was able to escape while waiting trial. He returned to hide on his own property for six months until he was found and arrested again. He was put on trial for the murder and was convicted. He was hanged to death for the murder on Oct. 17th 1859. This was the first legal hanging that occurred in the new formed Oregon territory. His family continued to live on the property in the cabin, until the property was divided up among the children.
The land was given to be used as part of the Portland Park in 1897. The failing stone building you see is not the original cabin, but actually a bathroom that was partially constructed in the 1950s for the park but never finished. it is said to be on the property where the cabin once stood.
I have read stories that it became a common place for people to drink and party at night even with the parks closing at ten. People have claimed to have uneasy feelings on site, and to have seen orbs all through out these woods. Legend goes that the families are still feuding even in death.
My first official post, is a personal one for me. This is a place I hate to go. Not because I have had a supernatural experience here that scared me (the whole place is actually terrifying) but my grandparents are here, both my parents are here, I have had too many moments at this place that do not bring me joy. I get comments from people regarding that I do not go here more often to pay respect, but I do not wish to remember loved ones at a grave site, remember them in life, not in death is a better option to me. So to dive into this blog, I am choosing my first official post to be about the hardest spot to write about.
The Portland Memorial Mausoleum was founded in 1901. It stretches 2 1/2 city blocks where four stories can be seen above ground with another four underground. It has beautiful Tiffany stained glass windows and skylights throughout the top floors. It has a Winchester Mansion feel to it, always expanding, everywhere you turn another turn, another room. It is easy to get lost in the underground floors, I myself have. Often refered to as a indoor cemetery, this place is a final resting place for over 100,000 people, with room for more. It is the biggest indoor Mausoleum this side of New Orleans. It is as beautiful as it is silent. And if you ever walk around the rooms, and corridors you will understand what real silence is. There is a whole wing dedicated to children alone. The only noise you will experience is the trickling sound of water from one of the many fountains throughout the place. The smell of dead flowers will haunt your nose alone. Marble floors and tombs, the place is always chilling and even in summer you will need a sweater if you plan on spending time inside.
Local Author Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) referenced to this place is his book "Fugitives and Refugees", also claiming to have written parts of his book Survivor within it's walls. He commented on a article how this place has become a local attraction for Goth sex and even suicide.
I have never had a unexplained experience here. I don't know if I would be open to it though with the personal relationship I will forever have to this place. I have brought few friends and family here, and nobody has ever reported anything back. One employee did comment witnessing a fog roll down a staircase in the shape of a woman, when she pulled out her digital camera it was already gone. She claims this was the only ghost encounter she has ever had to date. When I try to research others stories of supernatural experiences within its walls, I don't find a lot. I am certain a place so vast, that houses so much death would have some level of energy to it. I am hoping people who read this will share their own experiences. And take time to visit this place, it is truly a landmark of Portland. But please be respectful, there has been vandalism over the years, people are so careless and have disregarded that this is a final resting place for loved ones. I hope it stops so this place can continue to stay open for the public.
Welcome to my first post.
I wanted a place to explore local haunts, to go deeper into some dark thoughts. And as a lover of the unexplained and horror genre to even review movies. I wanted some place where people like me can share thoughts, stories and experiences on everything. I am not a ghost hunter, I am not even sure I am a believer. I am just a Mother, who was raised catholic but is non-devoted, Someone who wants to believe but has never had a personal experience with anything supernatural. Someone who is fascinated with the unexplained, and knows there are more out there like me. So I will be writing about local haunted locations, I am hoping to visit them with friends too so I can share personal pictures and stories. I am going to write about fear and local lore. I am going to explore into things people shouldn't because somehow it gives me a sense of comfort. I hope as I write, readers will comment. If you have visited places I mention and have had experiences, if you have heard things, if you plan on going there. Lets share stories, and make some twisted new friendships.
