Portland Ghosts

2. White Eagle Cafe

Portland, OR

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The White Eagle Hotel is considered by many to be the most haunted building in Portland. The hotel is a stone’s throw from the Lloyd Convention Center. In the 1800s, this area was known as Albina; it officially became part of Portland in 1891. These days, the blocks around the White Eagle show signs of urban renewal. Widmer Brothers Brewing, famous for their hefeweizen-style beer, owns a mid-size brewery and restaurant nearby. The northwest brewery chain McMenamin’s owns the White Eagle. Still, while life and entertainment are slowly returning, the whiff of petroleum permeates, a huge electrical substation hums, and warehouses sit at dead ends of sloping hillside streets. A labyrinth of stone and brick tunnels winds underneath the streets of Portland, including under the White Eagle and surrounding buildings. The original purpose of the tunnels is unknown: alleviating traffic flow, streetcar lines, and flood control are all popular theories. Nevertheless, these tunnels now connect many businesses throughout the city, though the original size of the tunnels has been grossly overestimated in recent years. In the back of the White Eagle, for example, there is still a hidden trap door leading below ground. The tunnels were a popular location for “shanghaiing.” Merriam-Webster defines this term, first noted in 1871, as putting someone aboard a ship by force, often with the help of liquor or a drug. It was a form of slavery, not prejudiced toward one race or gender. One popular method of gathering candidates for the slavery was to wait until saloon patrons were drunk and then to get them to gather into the rooms where the trap doors, or dead falls, were. Once an unsuspecting group was standing over the trap door, the door was opened and down into the dungeon-like underground the people would fall. The tunnels would then be used to transport these people to the docks or other locations. It would not be reaching to think that this process may have happened at the White Eagle. Imagine that the unique White Eagle was once a place designed to entrap and enslave the healthy and strong. Since 1905, the rooms at the saloon have been rented out, but those who now stay in these rooms report the sounds of moaning. The basement was once home to a brothel, populated by enslaved African and Asian women and teenage girls; one could suspect these moans, if they do come from these poor women, are less than desired or true. People who visit the White Eagle report that they feel as though they are being watched by spirits. A hushed but stern voice whispers “get out!” in their ear. Many people suffered in this building, so some believe the spirits don't think anyone should be able to enjoy themselves on the premises. There are reports of hands touching those who roam the halls of this establishment. Are these ghosts seeking a kind of revenge for what they had been through as humans on this property? Sam and Rose are considered to be the “official” ghosts of The White Eagle, according to legend. Sam was a peaceful housekeeper in the saloon for his entire life. He now haunts the premises as a countering force to the spirits who are miserable and angry. Sam is a ghost with a mission of peace on his mind, unlike many. He tries to comfort people and often puts his arm on their shoulder, whispering, “It’s okay. You’ll be okay.” Rose, a working girl, was murdered by a client who had apparently fallen in love with her. Rose was afraid of retribution (such as being sold away) by the saloon owner, so spurned the murderer's advances; she was said to be killed by the man in one of the bedrooms. Rose is apparently eternally bitter over her unfortunate life, so she spends her time creating disturbing sounds and dropping coins from the ceiling, almost as if trying to get attention before she can be killed. If people still don’t seem to get the hint, she grabs onto them and tries to yell in their ears. Further haunting can be attributed to the many violent bar fights and subsequent murders that happened during this saloon’s dark history. It is said that more than one bouncer used overly-aggressive tactics to handle overly drunk clients and, at the very least, severely maimed them for life. These ghosts are bloody, bleeding, broken, and as such are covered with cloth bandages. Because of all the creepy happenings, it takes a person with a strong will to be able to walk through this disturbed café without at least feeling a bit nervous.