The Pacific Northwest and Washington State, in particular, have a rich paranormal history the result of mining tragedies, territorial wars, the logging industry, and the struggle to forge the Oregon Trail. Home to ghost towns, haunted pubs, and an underground rife with ghostly encounters of all manifestations, when visiting the state, your main struggle will be where to investigate first.
1. The Seattle Underground
Seattle, Washington’s largest city, owes its growth in the Pacific Northwest primarily because of the logging industry. And the same industry that built the city almost ruined it.
On June 6, 1889, the Great Seattle Fire wiped out 31 blocks of houses, businesses, and workshops, causing what would be today a half billion dollars in damages. Little survived the flames. Seattle rebuilt a new city atop the old, eventually abandoning the old underground to the opium dens, prostitutes, and homeless who called it home. Their ghosts are still there, wandering the labyrinth of tunnels.
Learn more about the haunted history of the Seattle Underground.
2. Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub
Known as America’s Most Haunted Pub, Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub’s sinister past continues to haunt the establishment despite being the ‘go to’ venue for large events, parties, catering, and tastings in Seattle. And that’s because, at one time, the building in which this place of gaiety and celebration exists once buried all of Seattle’s dead and changed the face of the funeral industry forever.
Learn more about the haunted history of Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub.
3. Manresa Castle Hotel
Mansera Castle, the original home of Charles and Kate Eisenbeis, was a testament to its owners’ prominent status in the early Port Townsend business community. Built of walls a foot thick and made from Eisenbeis’ own brickworks, it boasted 30 rooms and was worthy of a king’s residence, although Eisenbeis was only a mayor, the town’s first one.
Nevertheless, it was the largest private residence ever built in Port Townsend, and the locals dubbed it “Eisenbeis Castle.” It looked like one, too, with its turrets’ sheer magnificence, comparable to a few castles in Eisenbeis’ native Prussia. Then tragedy struck, and more tragedy. The ghosts of Mansera Castle are still there to tell their stories to the living.
Learn more about the haunted history of the Manresa Castle Hotel.
4. The Town of Port Gamble
Walking this quaint bayside town’s maple and elm tree-lined streets, you’d think you’re in New England instead of the Pacific Northwest. And there’s a reason for this. Port Gamble was populated by its sister town, East Machias, Maine, when the local workforce couldn’t keep pace with the lumber industry that made the town boom. So, workers came in droves from Maine, bringing their families and moving some 2,500 miles from home. It was quite the ‘gamble,’ but it proved successful.
As a result, many buildings in Port Gamble are replicas of those from the East Coast. And the ghosts here in Washington’s most haunted town seem to like the New England feel of the place, too. They populate the town and have been here for over a hundred years. And they don’t appear to be going anywhere else soon.
Learn more about the haunted history of the town of Port Gamble.
5. St. Ignatius Hospital
Suppose you can imagine a haunted location so infested with demons that, for the public’s safety, the Chamber of Commerce suspends ghost tours and investigations there. If you can, then imagine St. Ignatius Hospital in Colfax, Washington. The aggressive demonic activity toward visitors and staff was so intense at this abandoned hospital that the Chamber felt temporarily closing it was in the public’s best interest and safety.
According to the Colfax Chamber of Commerce director, the hospital probably has ‘thousands of spirits.’ And most of them don’t play well with others: Hitting. Kicking. Pushing. Scratching. Screaming. Swearing. Apparently, there aren’t many practices these misbehaving spirits won’t attempt. And luckily for the paranormal community, the hospital has reopened for tours and investigations under new ownership.
Learn more about the haunted history of the St. Ignatius Hospital.
Summary
The Pacific Northwest, particularly Washington State, boasts a captivating paranormal history stemming from mining tragedies, territorial conflicts, the logging industry, and the Oregon Trail’s struggles. Ghost towns, haunted pubs, and an eerie underground are just a few of the supernatural wonders awaiting you to explore.
Whether it’s the lingering spirits in the Seattle Underground, the unsettling history of Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub, the haunted tales of the Manresa Castle Hotel, the timeless spirits of Port Gamble’s New England-inspired streets, or the intense supernatural encounters at St. Ignatius Hospital, Washington State offers a plethora of chilling experiences.
If you’re intrigued by these stories or have your own supernatural encounters to share, don’t hesitate to join or start the conversation and let your thoughts be heard!