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May to June 

 2008 Ghost Stories

In recent weeks it has come to my attention that certain parties are using my ghost stories and those of my contributors as references for their own commercial enterprises.  If you or someone you know is writing a book on ghosts in the Pacific Northwest, PLEASE DO NOT!!! copy or use the following stories or any other materials within this website as references.  

Jefferson Davis (25 April 2003)

FROM:  Joseph W

DATE:  21 May 2008

SUBJECT:  A fan enquiring about the Vancouver Barracks

Hi, my name is Joe and I bought all three of your GHOSTS CRITTERS & SACRED PLACES OF WASHINGTON AND OREGON at a little bookshop in downtown Vancouver.  I just finished the section noted in the subject and it occurred to me I live relatively close to the Vancouver Barracks.  I was wondering where you got your info about building 638 and if you have any advice on getting permission to stay the night inside.

 I am a Hospitalsmans Mate 3rd Class for the Navy (or soon to be.  I passed the test but am waiting for the ceremony).  I have one deployment to Iraq under my belt.  Sometimes it’s not in your best interest to tell other military people you are also in the military when asking a favor.  I don’t know how to approach anybody about staying in the building, but this sort of thing is a hobby of mine.  So whose butt should I kiss?

 I also have a story for you.  My friend Ryan went to the cemetery right next McLoughlin Middle School in Clark County for ghost hunting. He went at 3 am and him and his buddy reported the following occurrences: a clicking sound like boots stepping echoing on both sides of him from a distance, shadows moving incorrectly out of the corners of his eyes, and a grave he shined a flashlight on which seemed remained pitch black even though light was being shone on it. Me and Ryan repeated the experiment months later and at the same time of night.

 We didn’t see anything for a long time. I noticed something out of the corner of my eye but considered it not paranormal in nature or at least not likely enough.  5 minutes later I was swiveling my head a little more avidly to catch something.  I saw a silhouette of a person jump like a frog from one tree, past a garbage can ten feet away, to another tree also ten feet away and then it was gone.  It didn’t go high in the air, I don’t think it reached above the garbage can at all.  We also heard the clicking noise coming from both sides of us. We subdued anything on our clothes that we thought could possibly be making the clicking noise but it continued for a while.  We eventually got to the grave that Ryan told me about earlier. This time it did not remain pitch black when we shone our flashlights at it, but we went up close to touch it and there was something that felt like a magnet pushing our hands away and like a small shock when we touched it.

 We left soon after.  It should be noted that we had to walk around for about 2 hours before anything good happened and we were probably there about 21/2 hours in all. I can contact Ryan about it and also get better details on it if you like.  I’m 22, Drug free and of sound mind.  I consider myself a thrill seeking open-minded skeptic.  Ryan is drug free as well. Also, I can’t remember the details at this time but Ryan said one time something followed him home and since we were crashing at his house and I didn’t want to cause any problems, I did the sign of the cross and said the Lord’s Prayer, before we entered his house.

 Anywho, thanks for listening and any reply would be appreciated.
 Sincerely, Joe

I told Joe that it was not easy getting into the Barrack's buildings.  The city of Vancouver owns half of them, and the rest are still used by the military.  Sorry.  Jeff

DATE:  7 June 2008

FROM:  Tim 

SUBJECT:  Ghost in Portland’s Washington Park?

Hi Jeff,
 Hope things are going well for you and the Reserves are not keeping you too busy.

My name is Tim and I am with Oregon Paranormal Investigations. We met at the White Horse Saloon when you were doing your book review and have emailed on several occasions as well as web links.

I had an individual contact me asking about if I have ever heard of a ghost in Washington Park, Portland, Oregon.  I personally have not but I thought I would throw it your way.

I would be happy to include your name and website in my reply to them regardless rather you have or not.

 Thanks in advance for your time.
Tim
OPI/Founder

HI Tim,
Thanks for emailing me.  Did the people who sent you the email about the Washington Park ghost have any more details?  There is the "Witches Castle," But that is in Forest Park.  Other than that, I have not heard of any prominent ghosts in Portland's parks.

 Sorry,
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the reply. No, she did not state what area in Washington Park. The Witch's Castle is about all that I could think of also.  My intentions were if I had some general history of activity in the area I would have considered setting up an investigation.

I will cc you on my email reply to her.  
Thx, again.

 

FROM:  James C, Punk Rock Cowboy 

DATE:  11 June 2008

SUBJECT:  A reoccurring event

Dear Sir;
 Having lived in my neighborhood since I was 13, I never gave much thought to the St John's Catholic Cemetery which lies quietly nestled in a patch of woods a couple of blocks from my house.  Over the past few years, however, developers have cut down the trees surrounding the graveyard and started to put up new houses.  Even more recently, the original entrance to the cemetery has been fenced and a small roadway has been placed between (and over) the graves.  It appears to my wife and I that the local residents of the grave yard seem to be lost and wandering.

 Growing up in the Tay Terrace neighborhood, everyone in my family from my mother to my siblings were used to seeing shadows and strange lights out of the corner of their eyes in the grave yard while driving by at night.  After marrying and buying a house in the same neighborhood, my wife and I began to notice that the shadows were no longer detained to the cemetery, but rather would freely cross the road right in front of us.  As development increased, so did the activity. 

 As recently as last Sunday night, my wife and I have heard what sounds like a young boy calling for "Mamma" or "Grandma."  This happens almost every Sunday night between 10pm and 12am.  Being a self - proclaimed cynical believer, I hopped onto a bicycle one night a few years ago to find the source of the weekly disturbance.  I chased this voice around the neighborhood for a good 15 minutes, but to no avail!  Sometimes it was to the left, other times it was to the right.  Sometimes it was in front but once it ended up behind me as well.  The last time that I heard the voice that night, it was calling out from far down the street right by the grave yard.

 My wife and I aren't the only ones to hear it call out either.  When my mother - in - law was staying with us, she asked us one Monday morning what was going on in our neighborhood.  She was disturbed because she had heard the voice (which we had not told her about) calling from right outside of her window.  When she looked, there was nobody there.  My wife and I have told a few people of this strange experience but I don't think that most of them believed us.  I will say that as the years go by, the voice becomes clearer and clearer and we have even started to experience some strange things in our home.

 I hope that you find interest in this story.  I know we have because we're still living it!  Thank you for your time.

 Sincerely,
James C

FROM:  Kassie  

DATE:  12 June 2008

SUBJECT:  Governor Hotel

Dear Jeff,
The school where I work recently had a fundraiser at the Governor Hotel.  I experienced chills and thought I saw a shadow descending before me as I went down the stair well, and asked the girl working our coat check if it was always so chilly in the stair well, but did not mention anything else.  She told me she had heard that it was haunted.

Kassie

DATE:  25 June 2008

FROM Jon T

SUBEJCT:  Hood River Middle School

Hey I was reading your haunted places in Oregon and I saw that you had Hood River on there and well I have heard stories about the Hood River Middle school being haunted.  Some teachers that have worked there for a long time have their stories.  And also a kid in my grade has a dad that was shot with a gun in the back of the school.  I also heard stories about a girl that got raped in the auditorium.  And my friends where there one night running around the track behind the school at night and they saw one of the rooms with its windows open and they saw a red face with yellow eyes looking out.  This room is on the 3rd floor right below the attic.  And just to tell you this was during summer break.  And this room used to belong to a respected teacher who has heard things in that room and there is a door that leads to the attic in there and the new teacher covered it with a bookshelf.  But my friends were very scared the most scared I have ever seen them.  And the other night I had gone with them to run the track at night and they kept telling me that there was someone sitting in the dark between some trees.  But I couldn't see anything.  But I have glasses and I don't have the best vision.  But yeah the school is pretty freaky you should add it to the list.  it was originally built as a high school in 1927.  And there are a lot of mysteries about the school.