Haunted Graveyard of the Pacific

INTRODUCTION

WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK

As a fairly new resident of the Pacific Northwest—the Astoria, Oregon area to be exact—I’m fascinated by the area’s history and culture. The Pacific Northwest was one of the last parts of the United States to be explored and settled, making it seem more wild than other parts of the country.

Astoria is a rustic, beautiful Victorian coastal city that was established in 1811. It is the oldest permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains and is often referred to as the San Francisco of the Northwest due to its hilly topography and architecture. South of Astoria, there are many lovely and scenic coastal towns, while the major city of Portland, Oregon, lies just inland and serves as our starting point. North of Astoria is Washington State’s Long Beach Peninsula, nicknamed the Cape Cod of the Pacific, due, in part, to its twenty-eight-mile-long flat sandy beach. Some say visiting Long Beach is like stepping back in time, to a simpler, quainter period. North of the Long Beach Peninsula is the wild Washington Coast, bordered by towering fir and spruce trees, as well as vast redcedar and redwood forests. The lovely city of Victoria, British Columbia (BC), Canada, lies just north of the border, while the largest city on our road trip, Seattle, Washington, serves as our end point.

Rustic seaside villages, lighthouses, restaurants, antique stores, surf shops and carnivals abound, while farmer’s markets and weekly tourist festivals welcome residents and visitors alike. The area is known for great boating, camping, fishing, biking, clamming, golfing, cranberry cultivation, oyster farming and tourism activities, while state parks with nineteenth-century military forts and national historic sites welcome history enthusiasts. Bald eagles, black bears, elk, deer and other wildlife call the area home, and gray whales can be spotted migrating twice a year.

Photograph of the Astoria, Oregon waterfront, 1860–1920. Courtesy of the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Photography Collection, New York Public Library.

Despite this idyllic setting, there is another, darker name by which the area is known: the Graveyard of the Pacific. More than two thousand ships and countless lives have been lost to the treacherous waters of the Pacific Ocean and Columbia River. The combination of river flow and offshore currents create an ever-shifting hazardous sand bar at the mouth of the 1,214-mile-long Columbia River (one of the longest rivers in the United States), and unlike other rivers, whose power dissipates as it drains into deltas, the Columbia River funnels water like a powerful fire hose into the Pacific Ocean. This, together with frequent thick fog and violent storms from the North Pacific have caused ships to sink, burn and be crushed against the shore. Mariners and passengers have been swallowed by the waters for as long as can be remembered. The spirits of sailors and passengers who suffered these dramatic shipwrecks are said to linger.

Artist’s rendering of a shipwreck victim, 1913. Courtesy of the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Photography Collection, New York Public Library.

As humans, we have particularly short memories. We remember what just happened and what happened a few days or weeks ago. But few seem to remember what happened years—let alone a century—ago. This is true of disasters as well. We remember the airline accident that happened a year ago, as it is still in the news, yet we have virtually no memory of long-ago shipwrecks (other than that of the Titanic and a few others) that resulted in multiple deaths. These disasters were all too common in the days before satellite navigation, GPS and cellphones.

The Graveyard of the Pacific’s reportedly high level of paranormal activity is not limited to the sea. On land, the spirits of sailors who were shanghaied for involuntary service onboard ships, women who were kidnapped for prostitution and slavery and lighthouse keepers and their families who suffered tragic deaths are said to linger. Other lingering spirits are said to include those of early settlers, perhaps wishing to remain close to their homes and descendants or to complete unfinished business, Natives whose lands were stolen and burial grounds desecrated, murderers and murder victims and soldiers. In addition to these ghost stories, there are countless supernatural tales of Sasquatch, werewolves and legends of buried treasure.

Chilling tales of paranormal occurrences abound in this northwestern corner of America. It’s no wonder that movies and television shows like the vampire and werewolf movie series The Twilight Saga, the pirate treasure movie The Goonies, the tv series Supernatural, the remake of The Fog and the drama-mystery Twin Peaks were either made or based in the region. Even the movie The Shining featured a package of Willapoint Minced Clams, which are sourced along the Graveyard of the Pacific.

The dark skies, wind, storms and fog all add to an atmosphere of mystery and dread. Damaging storms frequently strike the Pacific Northwest, devastating whole towns. The area is at risk from tsunamis, giant ocean waves caused by earthquakes; the last major tsunami struck the area in 1700 and was so powerful it swallowed entire Native villages. Reflecting this foreboding atmosphere, local landmarks are colorfully named Cape Disappointment (a ship’s captain was disappointed to not find the Columbia River), Deadman’s Hollow (where victims of a shipwreck washed ashore) and Dismal Nitch (where Lewis and Clark took shelter during a fierce 1805 winter storm while exploring the Northwest).

So, if you see someone on land who appears out of place or hear ghostly words on the wind, check again—it may be the forlorn spirit of a lost soul reaching out.

Photograph of Merriweather Lewis, 2007. Courtesy of Photoman, Pixabay.

MY BELIEFS AND APPROACH

Those who believe in ghosts and supernatural phenomenon say restless spirits haunt the area, while others point to the tales of Natives and early settlers. We will explore many of these tales and legends.

I would not describe myself as a full believer of these stories, though I find them fascinating and would like to believe that some—or at least part—of the legends are true. When I travel, I like to dig into the history of the area, which often includes participating in ghost tours. I’ve done this in Charleston, South Carolina; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Salem Massachusetts; Tombstone, Arizona; Williamsburg, Virginia; and other historic towns. These towns are said to be haunted by Civil War soldiers, gunfighters, colonial residents and others. As a professor, attorney and former senior executive, it is my nature to question whether these tales are based on fact and logic. But in researching these tales, it is clear that not everything can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

I use an evidence-based approach in analyzing these reported supernatural phenomena. I have not included legends and stories that lack any evidence.

Legends and tales of hauntings may serve many purposes. For believers, these tales may simply document paranormal activity. For others, they may help explain that which is not easily explained. For others still, much like the experience of telling ghost stories around a fire, such tales can be a fun escape from reality. Whatever the reason, these tales are fascinating and are part of an area’s history.

I view my role as multifaceted: historian, investigator, interested taleteller, prideful resident and tour guide. It is through these lenses that I write this book. I have conducted significant research and have included it as it is applicable (please see the bibliography). The amount of evidence I was able to identify varies from tale to tale, and I have included what I could find. In some cases, based on the tale, I have added (and identified) my own speculation. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Please join me as we take a road trip through this fascinating—and, arguably, most haunted—place in America!

PART I.

THE MOST HAUNTED PLACE IN AMERICA: THE GRAVEYARD OF THE PACIFIC

1

GHOSTS AND OTHER UNDEAD

As highlighted in a 2017 USA Today article, 45 percent of people surveyed believe in ghosts, 32 percent believe ghosts can hurt the living and 18 percent reported having been in the presence of a ghost. This belief in ghosts has existed for as long as humans have inhabited the Earth. Tales of ghosts were present in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, Native American and Aboriginal cultures and across many religions.

The scientific view is that ghosts and supernatural phenomenon are simply the products of optical illusions, hallucinations or other explainable maladies or logical errors.

For believers, ghosts and supernatural phenomenon can be good, evil or something in between. They may represent an omen or portent of death, or they may not. Ghosts are often thought of as spirits that have not passed on but rather are trapped or connected to earthly property, memories, the living or some unfinished business. Often, but not always, the deceased met a sudden, unexpected death, such as an accident or a violent or tragic death.

The word ghost comes from Old English and refers to the human spirit or soul of the deceased. I use several different words interchangeably within this book, including ghost, apparition, haunt, phantom, poltergeist, specter and spirit. Different cultures have different ideas about ghosts, although most have some belief in an afterlife.

Ghosts generally take on one of five forms:

ECTOPLASM OR ECTO-MIST: A vaporous cloud, floating above the ground, white, gray or black. They have been witnessed in graveyards, battlefields and historical sites, among other places.

FUNNELS: Frequently experienced in homes or historical buildings as cold spots, wisps or swirling spirals of light. Many of us have experienced cold spots and wondered if it’s an air circulation issue or perhaps something more sinister.

INANIMATE OBJECTS: Including ghost ships, ghost trains and other vehicles believed to be controlled by the undead who were involved in accidents, wrecks or suffering other sudden and unexpected ends. Examples include the old City of Albany ghost train, featured in 1989’s Ghostbusters II (really an amalgam of multiple train wrecks), which was said to have killed over one hundred people after it derailed in 1920; and the Flying Dutchman, a legendary ghost ship most likely based on seventeenth-century Dutch