Ghost Towns & Haunted Hotels - Washington USA

Hello Friends,

Recently, Lesli and I packed our bags and headed south across the Canada - USA border into the green state of Washington, USA. We had our sights on visiting the old town of Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. I've heard stories of haunted hotels, bordellos from the early 1900s, a small ghost town area with a steel mill which closed leaving behind little evidence of it's existence, and the people.. oh yes, I heard the people are truly warm and welcoming.

I also read/heard about an interesting ghost town in the Cascade Mountains. In 1910 two trains were caught in an avalanche and killed 96 people. We decided to put it on our travel agenda of the two day trip.

It was a blue sky day, the air was crisp as we headed out in the morning to make our trip. The "lineup" (I've heard Americans criticize my use of this word, but that is how we say it here in Canada) at the border was a 10-20 minute wait, which isn't bad at all; and after a short but friendly chat with the border guard, we were on our way. We drove the I-5 to the Anacortes turn off, then followed the signs to Whidbey Island, and there we joined our dearest friend Donna in Coupeville for a ride across the northern point of Puget Sound to the peninsula and it's interesting heritage.

Photo courtesy Kati - on the Port Townsend - Coupeville Ferry

The ferry ride was quick and easy, although one must make sure to book a reservation. The fresh air and blue sky was heavenly. We had plenty of time to take photos and watch the waters for whales.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Donna, Lesli and Kati aboard the ferry

Once we arrived, it was a quick and easy drive onto the I-20, veered left onto the I-19 and there we were within minutes, at Port Hadlock-Irondale. We drove to the State Park which sits along the beach area, and took a short walk to where Puget Sound and Chimacum Creek meet. Unfortunately it was not where the ghost town of Irondale once stood, but it was close! We chatted with a lovely lady who was with her dog, and watched some young men run into the waters.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Chimacum Creek meets Puget Sound

The lady explained we had walked in the wrong direction, but if we turned around and went back past the parking lot and to the right, we'd see a trail and marker to a Historic Area.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Irondale, National Historic Site

Irondale - In 1881 an iron producing blast furnace was erected and put into operation by Samuel Hadlock and other local business men, forming the Puget Sound Iron Company. It produced approximately 1200 tons of pig iron (used to make wrought iron and steel) in it's first year of production, and up to 2300 tons in 1883, after improvements, with ore from the Chimacum Valley. A town to house the employees sprung up and by 1883, several saloons, stables, a grist mill, hotels, boarding houses, businesses and homes were situated in the area and down to the beach front. At it's peak, the plant employed over 400 workers. Due to the downfall of the economy the plant closed in 1889.
Several years later, it was reopened as the Western Steel Company, James A. Moore as president.
By 1909, the population of Irondale grew to approximately 1500, and the town boasted a bank, newspaper, 3 hotels, 30 businesses, a hospital, electricity, water and sewer system, plus many new houses. Everyone was employed, and plans were made to house up to 20,000 people within 3 years. The mill produced close to 700 tons of steel weekly.
In 1910 Western Steel Company declared bankruptcy, causing the collapse of the plant and town. It was revived during World War 1 for a brief period to stockpile raw materials, but was dismantled in 1919.
Today it is a residential zone for Port Hadlock Tri-Area, and on maps is known as Port Hadlock-Irondale, Washington. The beachfront is littered with remnants of the old plant.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Irondale Historic Site

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Irondale Historic Site

We wandered the grassy site, touched the concrete slabs, enjoyed the view and tried to connect with the energy of the past.

Next we drove into Port Townsend to check into the Palace Hotel on Water Street, with plans to enjoy a meal and walk around town.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Palace Hotel on Water Street

Port Townsend - Named after a friend of Captain George Vancouver (Marquis of Townshend) in 1792, was settled in 1851. It was hoped to become the largest harbour on the west coast; however, these dreams were crushed. First Nations tribes (today: Chemakum, Hoh, Quinault, Klallam, and Twana) had occupied the land for thousands of years, but by the late 1700's to early 1800's, were decimated by diseases brought in from European explorers (notably measles and smallpox). By the time settlers arrived, the indigenous people were reduced to a few hundred and thus couldn't effectively stand against them.
The Klallam tribe's territory encompassed the future settlement and in 1851 S'Hai-ak granted permission to the settlers. Not long after, S'Hai-ak drowned. His younger brother, Chezemoka, succeeded to leadership of the band. Today, a park (dedicated in 1904) sits in his honour on the northeast part of the town with spectacular views of the Admiralty inlet and Cascade Mountains.
Port Townsend became a popular seaport and a building boom began, with a decline in 1893, due to the failure of rail lines to connect the area with the eastern Puget Sound cities, and the economic depression. A major part of the wealth and resources was lumber and shipping of goods. In the mid 1890's, a quarter of American railroads declared bankruptcy. Investors began looking elsewhere and the town's population dwindled. The primary source of income became fishing, canning and Fort Worden's military base (built between 1898 and 1920). This shifted in the 1920's when a paper mill was built, lasting into the 1950's. From 1957-1971, Fort Worden was purchased by the State of Washington and became a Juvenile Detention Facility, reopening as a State Park in 1973. In the 1960's, Port Townsend became a hippy mecca, who opened small shops in the main part of town; while the 1970's brought a flood of "laid-back" people who restored old buildings and opened small businesses. Today, the popular tourist town boasts a population of less than 10,000 (2015 Census), receiving Historic status in 1976-1977.

Note: A great little video of Port Townsend's history: https://youtu.be/DZUJxosGLUU - please take a moment, it's under 5 minutes long.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Room #3, Marie's (Madame)
corner room on 2nd floor with fireplace

The Palace Hotel - (3 storey brick building on Water Street) was built by the Canadian Architect, William Tuft Whiteway (1856-1940) for Captain Henry Lewis Tibbals (1829-1920) in 1887-1889. It opened as a billiard parlor, Townsend Tavern and rooms to rent, with the Captain's family living on the 2nd floor. In the early 1900's, the first floor housed many different businesses such as a newspaper, theatre, grocery store, railway offices, florist shop, liquor store and several restaurants. During prohibition and the Depression, a well-known brothel and hotel occupied the 2nd and 3rd floors, earning the name "Palace of Sweets". The Madame, Marie, occupied the corner 2nd floor suite (the room we stayed in) which contained the only fireplace in the building. In 1935 the Sheriff's office raided the brothel; and although it was rumoured to have closed down, a secretary, whose office was on the 2nd floor suggested it continued to flourish until 1940/41. She was witness to a scene of young women at the only bathroom on the 2nd floor around noon in their bathrobes, suspecting them to be working late hours and early mornings. Rooms had been rented to single women during the time. At the beginning of WW2 all brothels were ordered shut down by the federal government. By 1970, the building required a full restoration, and with fund raising success, renovations began in 1976. Restoration to the outside and foundation of the building began in the 1980's and soon it was back to what it had been in the Victorian Era and the Roaring Twenties.

The hotel is rumoured to be haunted by several spirits (prostitutes, Father Patrick - who performed last rites for prostitutes' babies who died and were buried in the basement floor, a former housekeeper, a native woman, a Lady in a blue dress and more!), with Marie and Captain Tibbals suspected as the main ghosts. A ghost sighting log is available for reading, filled with written accounts from visitors. Just ask the hotel staff at the lobby desk.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Miss Alice room

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Mezzanine area with a Bedroom
(just above Lounge, below 2nd floor)

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Lounge area & entrance on Water Street

Photo Courtesy of Kati - stairway to 3rd floor

We left our bags in the room, closed the Marie door, and after a tour of the hotel and it's beautiful Victorian style rooms, headed back out to the street to explore the town. One can wander through Upper Port Townsend and Downtown Port Townsend. A huge flight of stairs took us to the upper portion where we discovered more of its history.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - the Bell Tower (1890)

The Bell Tower - the last remaining wooden bell tower in USA. At 75 feet tall, it was built in 1890, and held a 1500 lb brass bell. It was used to rally the community to help fight fires. The American Telegraph Company had set up poles and wiring equipped with boxes which contained signaling devices. Gamewell Company "Excelsior" model fire alarm boxes were installed in certain areas of the city, with 21 in service by 1933. When one was set off it would send a transmission to an indicator unit at the fire station in City Hall, and a 14 inch brass bell would ring in a timed pattern. The unit would display which alarm box was triggered, leading the volunteer firefighters to that area. A transmission of the coded location was sent to the Bell Tower and a firefighter, at the station, would select the number of times the bell ringer would cycle the coded signal for one, two or three alarm fires. Today it stands proudly above the city, named as a recipient of the 2004 State Historic Preservation Officer's Award for Resource Stewardship. It is kept up by the city's fundraising every decade or so.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - view from Upper Port Townsend
of Puget Sound and the ferry terminal

Beautiful old homes and churches fill the Upper area, perfect for a lovely stroll.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - private home next to the Bell Tower

Photo Courtesy of Kati - St Paul's Episcopal Church (1865)

Photo Courtesy of Kati - private residence

The Jefferson County Court House - this building is unique and overlooks the Bay and Admiralty Inlet from Upper Port Townsend. It was erected in 1891 and made from deep red brick shipped in from St. Louis, with 786 tons of sandstone from Alaska. Designed by a Seattle architect, W.A. Ritchie, at a cost of $150,000 ($17,287 was used for the jail in the basement). The counters in the offices are made with oak and rose marble, while the main hallways are laid with patterned quarry tile. The Clock Tower was installed in 1892, and is 124 feet and 4 inches tall, ringing every hour of the day. Legend says the bell was pulled across the plains while the clock mechanism was shipped around the Horn, and a white horse pulled the device into position. In 1912 the building received electricity, and illumination of the 9 foot clock was made possible. Since 1914, the clock is wound every Friday. The building was placed into the National Register of a Historic Place in 1973.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - the Clock Tower

Photo Courtesy of Kati - front of the Court House

Photo Courtesy of Kati - entrance to the Court House

Photo Courtesy of Kati - a view of the building

Photo Courtesy of Kati - the garden & view in front of Court House

After our lovely walk, we found ourselves back in Downtown Port Townsend admiring the architecture of the buildings on Water Street. Of course we took in some window shopping, and stopped in at the Phoenix Rising shop where we purchased some crystals and gifts.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - steps to Downtown

Photo Courtesy of Kati - view to Downtown

Photo Courtesy of Kati - along Water Street

Photo Courtesy of Kati -
OK, these Furry Bones were in a shop window. Too cute!

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Sterming Block (1889)

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Captain Tibbals' building (Palace Hotel)

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Water Street building architecture 

Photo Courtesy of Kati - along Water Street. I love this building!
The 2nd & 3rd floors are under renovation.
Hastings Building (1890)

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Rose Theatre,
opened 1907 as a Vaudeville House

Photo Courtesy of Kati - James & Hastings (1889)

We discovered a lovely quaint cafe, where we enjoyed a cool drink at a table in the outdoors. The day was flying by, and soon Lesli and I found ourselves hugging Donna and waving our good-byes at the ferry terminal, for her trip back to Coupeville. Afterwards, we hopped into our vehicle and drove a short way to Manresa Castle, thought to be haunted. We wanted to see if we could walk around to experience the hotel's energy.

Manresa Castle - completed in 1892, as a residence for Charles (prominent member of the business community & first mayor in 1878) and Kate Eisenbeis of Prussia. Known as the "Eisenbeis Castle" with 30 rooms and 12 inch thick walls, it had been abandoned a few years after Charles passed away in 1902, and Kate's second marriage. The only inhabitant was a caretaker. Then in 1925, a Seattle attorney purchased the property as a vacation place for nuns who taught in Seattle schools. Jesuit Priests bought the building in 1927, to create a training college. They added a wing with a chapel, sleeping rooms and an elevator in 1928, then placed stucco over the bricks. It was named "Manresa Hall" in honour of the Spanish town where their order was founded by Ignatius Loyola. In 1968, the Jesuits left and the building transitioned into a hotel named "Manresa Castle". It has had 3 different owners since, and increased the number of bathrooms from 3 to 43.
Stories of hauntings developed. A monk thought to have hung himself in the attic is heard, and a woman who threw herself out of a window after learning the man she loved had died in war is thought to haunt her room. Glasses explode in the cafe/chapel room, and sometimes empty ones are turned upside down. There are reports that rooms 302, 304 and 306 are haunted.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Manresa Castle (1892)

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Manresa Castle lounge on main floor

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Manresa Castle main floor hallway

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Manresa Castle stairway to 2nd floor

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Manresa Castle, a peak into the downstairs restaurant area

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Manresa Castle, back of the building

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Manresa Castle, outside back of building

The hotel staff was kind to allow us to walk the main floor only, so as not to disturb guests, and around the outside of the building. Although the garden lacked work, it was an interesting space to visit. We did not experience anything out of the ordinary or unexplained, but it would make for a fun night to explore perhaps on a future visit.

We stopped to get some food on our way back to the Palace, had a lovely meal in our room, and then settled in for the night and some EVP (electronic voice phenomena) work, video taping our session. We are still reviewing hours of recordings, but the evening was not as quiet as we'd like, for across the way a party was ongoing at one of the establishments. Sounds of the festivities carried up to our suite.

Photo Courtesy of Kati
-#3 room key and pendulum

The next morning I woke very early (6am), and after sitting for a spell out on Water Street enjoying the peace and quiet, I came back inside to hear a woman say "hello". I quickly checked the hallway but no one was there. Lesli was still sleeping. I looked out the windows, but saw no one nearby. It was just before 8am. Was this a resident spirit? Perhaps the housekeeper who is thought to roam the Hotel? I cannot say. I had shut off our digital recorders before going outside. Darn!

Photo Courtesy of Kati - The Palace Hotel lobby in the morning

Our plan for the day was to travel across the water, back to the mainland, and a drive several hours inland (east) to Wellington, a ghost town which no longer exists. It's situated in the midst of the Cascade Mountains (near the base of Windy Mountain), with stories of a haunted tunnel and snowshed.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - on the Kingston-Edmonds ferry

Wellington - today it's known as Tye, and is situated on a rough (some parts are gravel) road heading down from Stevens Pass and the summit at the Mountain Resort on Hwy 2 in the Cascade Mountains; also on the Iron Goat Trail (hiking path). Founded in 1893, it was a railroad community in King County, which experienced the worst avalanche in U.S.A. history because of the number of people who died. In 1910 at the end of February, the town was experiencing a horrible blizzard. For nine days two trains were trapped at the depot waiting out the weather. The snow fell up to a foot an hour, and on it's worst day up to eleven feet. Late on the evening of February 28th, the snow had stopped and turned to rain with a warm wind. Just after 1am on March 1st, lightening struck and a slab of snow broke loose. It was a ten foot high mass, 1/2 mile long and 1/4 mile wide; and because a recent forest fire had ravished the area, there was little they could do to stop the snow from coming down upon the community and the trains.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Windy Mountain and where Wellington once stood

The avalanche roared down Windy Mountain and took with it the two Great Northern trains (Spokane Local Passenger Train No. 25, and Fast Mail Train No. 27) and 96 people. They ended up 150 feet below the railroad tracks in the ravine, into Tye Creek at the bottom, and were buried under 40+ feet of snow.

Courtesy Newspapers.com - Seattle Star (Mar.02, 1910) pg 01

The main form of communication was through telegraph lines, but due to the storm, those had ceased working. Scenic, being the closest town at 8 miles of windy track to the west, was the first to find out about the slide. A group of male survivors had hiked to the town for help. News began to seep out and soon the Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway (1857-1970) arrived in Scenic the following day. Organizing crews to get to the site and begin digging for survivors and the dead was crucial. This was not an easy task. Each day the missing and dead list grew, and eventually in July 1910, the last of the bodies was discovered. In total 96 people had perished, with many injured and a few who escaped fatality. It was not only passengers on the train that had the death sentence, but also employees who had been working hard on the snowy tracks prior to the avalanche. It was devastating!

Courtesy Newspapers.com - Seattle Star (Mar.03, 1910) pg 01

Courtesy Newspapers.com - Seattle Star (Mar.03, 1910) pg 01

Today the old Cascade tunnel, to the east of where the town once stood, sits in disrepair. Warning signs not to go near are clearly marked on a trail, due to a possible fear of flooding in the 2.6 mile tunnel. The concrete snow shed, to the west, is also beginning to fall apart, and one has to be careful of falling debris. It is said that spirits of children and women who died in the tragic event, still linger with their voices crying out in both spots.

Lesli and I took great care when walking the trails, kept our eyes open for any wildlife and danger, and ran our digital recorder to see if we could pick up any voices that were not our own. The area appears abandoned. No buildings of long ago, only remnants here and there. At the end of the drive down from the summit, is a small gravel parking lot and a washroom building, next to a big billboard which holds a map of the area. One can enjoy a scenic walk along the bottom of Windy Mountain leading to both the tunnel and the snow shed.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Warning Sign before the old Cascade Tunnel

Photo Courtesy of Kati - view of Cascade Tunnel from the trail

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Cascade Tunnel (1900-1929)
2.6 miles long, electrified in 1909 due to noxious exhaust
& smoke from steam locomotives

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Tye Creek below the trail

The avalanche came down where today stands a concrete snowshed, and wiped out everything in it's path. Parts of the town were missed; however where the two trains waited, all was destroyed and pulled into the ravine.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Before the Slide photo of Wellington

After a visit to the tunnel, we walked west along the trail to the snowshed (1911-1929). The Great Northern Railway built the all concrete, 2463 foot (nearly 1/2 mile long), double tracked, snowshed as protection. The entrance of the shed marks the eastern extent of the avalanche path where the two trains sat waiting on that fateful night. It was an engaging walk with a view of the crash site below, shrouded in trees, bush and wilderness. Signs were dotted along the walk providing valuable information, the names of people who lost their lives, and the changes to the little town that lives no more. The snowshed was filled with the eerie sounds of water dripping and echos of our footsteps. We captured no evidence of "spirit" voices on our digital recorders. As I walked beneath the great concrete structure I couldn't help but feel alone. A silence overwhelmed me, and a feeling of despair seeped into my heart. Each step I took felt like I was wading through a thickness, a fog, I could not see. I tried to concentrate on the echos to lift whatever it was trying to distress me.

Photo Courtesy of Kati - under the Snowshed (1911-1929)

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Signage of telegram from W.C. Watrous
Superintendent of Transportation (Mar.01/1910)

Photo Courtesy of Kati - midway a platform stands with a
view of the crash site below

Photo Courtesy of Kati - the view south from the platform

Photo Courtesy of Kati - Signage - the Avalanche & those who perished

Photo Courtesy of Kati - western end of the snowshed

Courtesy of Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Courtesy of Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

It was early evening, we were famished and decided it was time to travel north,back to Vancouver, B.C. Canada. We sat in the parking lot to enjoy a cup of yogurt and fruit, loaded up on water, and began our 4 hour journey home. Traffic along Hwy 2 was light and steady, but once we found ourselves back closer to the I-5 and the big cities, it clogged up. We made light of it, shared stories, talked about our adventure, sent out a few tweets, and enjoyed the music from Lesli's Ipod.

Unfortunately, upon our arrival back in the province we noticed the sun had turned a brilliant red as it was dropping into the ocean, and the air was filled with smoke from B.C.'s forest fires. The view of the North Shore Mountains was no more. The smoke lingered in the city for some days to come. Truly sad! We wish everyone well in B.C. and send out our love.

It was a grand adventure, although short, and we learned so much more about the history of two fascinating spots in Washington State. I'm sure we'll be back some day to explore more of these alluring areas.

Courtesy Google Maps - Outline of our Trip

If you have ever visited either, or both, of these places we'd love to hear from you. Let us know in the comment section below, on our Facebook page (give us a like!), or email us via our Website, and tell us about your experiences!

Thank you again for visiting with us and following our blogs. We truly appreciate your participation and insight.

Till next time,
Happy Hauntings!

Kati

Sources: ghosttowns.com; wikipedia; historylink.org; ptguide.com; city-data.com; familysearch.org; palacehotelpt.com; hauntedhouses.com; enjoypt.com; ptleader.com; Jefferson County Washington website; Manresa Castle handout from hotel; Newspapers.com; Ancestry.ca; Museum of History & Industry, Seattle.
Photos by Kati: are prohibited from use by others, and require written consent of Kati Ackermann Webb and Vancouver Spooks Paranormal Investigations. Contact via our website.