The Strange and Offputting of the Beaver State @spookyoregon - Tumblr Blog

Batsquatch: More than Just a Beer?

The history of cryptids in the Pacific Northwest is vast and varied, from famous creatures like Bigfoot, to lesser known such as the Wallowa Lake Monster. One of these lesser known outside of the PWN is "Batsquatch". While the term is nationally known from drinking beer, the birth of the word comes from a more pivotal moment in the history of the PNW.

March, 27th 1980, Mount St. Helens forever changed the landscape close to the Washington/Oregon border with one of the most studied American Volcanic eruptions. The devastation it reaped is still seen in the scars of the landscape in Skamania County, and from this eruption of earth came the start of another chapter of local history. Locals spoke of seeing a figure within the ash clouds, eyes red, and large leathery wings. Nothing substantial was ever recorded, and while the Mothman may be the first thought of most people, continued sightings proved otherwise.

In 1994, Brian Canfield was in the woods of Pierce County, WA when his car suddenly stopped. He alleges a humanoid creature, with a furry body, leathery wings, and glowing red eyes came up to his car. His car was frozen until the creature spread it's wings, "the width of the road", and flew off. This report in 1994 brought forward other stories from locals in the area, alleging that they had also seen, and been terrorized by the large creature.

In 1998 a trucker alleged to have hit Batsquatch while hauling lumber in northern Oregon. There have been reports even in 2009 of Batsquatch flying over hikers on Mt. Shasta, and a plane being buzzed by the bugger above Mt. Rainier, giving Batsquatch a particularity large territory.

While some still think Batsquatch a misidentified Mothman, there is the running theory that the eruption of Mount St. Helens opened a crack in the earth that allowed the creature (or creatures) to escape from their native habitat below the ground. Perhaps they are a cousin of the man himself, Sasquatch? Maybe we will never know for sure. While not as well known nationally as Bigfoot, Batsquatch remains a part of the interesting and bit weird lore that makes the PNW so special.

sources:

The Fox Nation streaming service checks out the supposed "Batsquatch" in its "Monsters Across America" series.

One of the more memorable and unique tales from the leftover cryptids is the winged horror dubbed the Batsquatch. In order to understand the

#oregon #cryptid #batsquatch

The Lafayette Curse

Lafayette, Oregon, is a small town deep within wine country within the Willamette Valley. The town itself could barely be called that now, at 4,399 townspeople as of the last census in 2022. While at once a stopping point for wagons on their way to the south and California Gold, the major draws nowadays are the local wineries and, morbidly, the cemeteries that lay in the surrounding hill sides.

The urban legend of a witch's curse continues to shroud the local cemeteries to the current day. A tale that could be direct from any generic horror film: a witch is caught and sentenced to hanging for endangering the town folk. The witch condemns the town to never prosper. Fires burn the town down not once, but twice! Some say her vengeance will not be sated until the town burns for a third and final time.

The true story is less mystical, though remarkably ends in Southern Oregon. Anna Maple and her son Richard moved to Lafayette in 1885. Richard was a known thief and, in 1886, was arrested by the sheriff for the death of a local shop keep David Corker. Corker had been known to the Maple family, and it was known Richard did not like the man. Corker had been found hacked to death in his store that had been ransacked.

Richard maintained his innocence to the crime but was still executed by hanging 04/09/1887. His mother Anna is alleged to have cursed the town to never prosper and burn to the ground. She left Lafayette, never to return, and lived in Jackson County, OR, until her own death. Anna is currently buried in an unmarked grave in Jacksonville Cemetery.

The town of Lafayette has suffered multiple fires over the years, totaling six large enough to have done extensive damage to the town, the latest being in 1946. Locals attribute the fires more to the fact the town was made mostly of wood until construction materials evolved to be more fire resistant. As Oregon continues to have wildfires that affect the small towns dotting the countryside, the likelihood of the town being victim to flames increases. Whether this is doing of Anna Maple's curse is up for you to decide.

sources:

*update at bottom I know it is past Halloween, but his post took a bit longer to get together than I anticipated. I heard about a couple of

#oregon

The Unsolved Murders

10/20/12, cabby William “Huey” Huson’s cab was discovered abandoned at the corner of 9th and Almond St. Huey was reported missing by his dispatch with Valley Cab. His body was discovered in a field near the Medford International Airport. As of 2023, Huey’s murder has not been solved. He has been added to a morbid list of unsolved murders that have happened in Southern Oregon.

One of the first unsolved, and most scandalous, murders was in July, 1952 of two General Motors executives at Crater Lake. The search for Charles Culhane and Albert Jones’ murderers was spearheaded by local authorities and the FBI. Their bodies were discovered in the same month, missing their wallets, watches, and shoes. The FBI interviewed over 200 Crater Lake Park employees. While there were a few leads, none panned out and as of 2023, this remains an unsolved cold case.

The Cowden Family Murders are another unsolved cold case. The family, Richard, Belinda, children David and Melissa, lived in White City, OR. In 1974, over Labor Day weekend, the family went camping near Copper, OR where Belinda's mother lived. When the family failed to show for dinner, Belinda's mother found the family's campsite, sans campers. With items strewn about, alluding to a fight, she called the police. A search was made in the nearby area, but nothing was found until April 1975. The family's bodies were discovered near Carberry Creek in a cave, all murdered. As of 2023, this case remains unsolved, and one of the more infamous murders in the area.

sources: Crater Lake Institute, Wikipedia, KDRV12

#oregon #murder

Reality Is Terrifying

Oregon's history is intrinsically linked to racism. We, as a state, can't really avoid it, since the state initially banned slavery because the founders wanted NO black people in the state. The KKK helped push laws through the first years of Oregon, such as the Compulsory Education Act that banned private schools, the intent to ban Jewish and Catholic schools. Portland maintains the reputation of being a Neo-Nazi magnet, even in the year of our lord 2023., with the Rose City Nationalist Club.

Discrimination was, ironically, not directed toward black people for a few years as none lived in the state. Catholics, Jewish people, Chinese, and Native tribes of the state often were the subject of any ire.

Southern Oregon and it's towns had the reputation of being sundown towns well into the 1960s; sundown town meaning anyone who wasn't white had better be out of town by sundown, or face consequences. The KKK marched in the Ashland Fourth of July Parade more than one year. Such prosaic news headlines such as “J.F. Hale Given Neck Tie Party.” were commonplace for decades. Even with the construction of Interstate 5, the reputation of Medford as a sundown town continued.

It was Ashland that began to crack the all-white standard. With growth of tourism, part in thanks to the completion of the enclosed theaters at Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the 1970s and continued growth of Southern Oregon University. With the growth of tourism and education, demographics began to shift. It is difficult to escape the past, however, as of the last census shows Medford's population is 84.1% white, black 1.0%, and native 1.5%.

sources: Oregon Encyclopedia, Kobi5, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Investigate West

#oregon

Life Imitates Art

Oregon has been home to multitude of films. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Ring, The Goonies all have iconic scenes that took place in Oregon. While the Oregon Coast and Willamette Valley are well known, Southern Oregon has also been backdrop to films, though not as many famous ones; The River Wild and My Name is Bruce are perhaps the last two films that the public might recognize. With theater being a big part of Southern Oregon, it is natural that some films would take place here.

One such film is From the Dark. If you are a native to the area, you can ascertain from the premise where the film takes place; "Valerie Faust is an energetic, intelligent, yet bored young woman looking to make a change in her life. She has been working at a rural mountain lodge and cave attraction for several years and was raised around there her whole life. Her father once worked for the lodge before his passing, and now Valerie is ready to put this chapter of her life behind her." Spoiler alert: Valerie is the murderer, killing off different characters in the very generic slash film trope.

Main character was played by Wyn Reed/Aislong Tucker Moore-Reed. While portraying a murder, during production Reed was arrested for the murder of her uncle. Famous enough to have her own Wikipedia page, Tucker-Moore in 2016 shot and killed her maternal uncle after a dispute between Moore-Reed’s mother and the uncle. There was a self-defense attempt by the defense during the trial as the uncle had a temper and allegedly abused those in his family. Regardless, the grand jury found Moore-Reed liable for murder and not just manslaughter after watching recorded cell phone videos of the incident.

Moore-Reed was found guilty and sentenced to six years in prison, though had added time for smuggling drugs into jail. Her arrest and trial inadvertently ended up being great publicity for From the Dark. While only garnering 3 out of 10 stars and not a single review on Rotten Tomatoes, you can watch From the Dark on Amazon, YouTube, and other streaming services, if you'd like.

#oregon

"That's It"

The Death Penalty is one of the many issues in the USA that will no doubt cause a debate between two people. Either for or against, it is a hot button topic; Oregon's history mirrors the feelings of the USA at large through the years. As it stands today, the Death Penalty is still on the books in Oregon, but as of 2011 there has been a moratorium on using it.

Leroy Sanford McGahuey has the morbid distinction of being the last person executed in the State of Oregon before Furman v. Georgia, Supreme Court case that struck all current, at the time, pending death penalties. This is the same case that resulted in Charles Manson spending life in prison. An Oregon native, McGahuey was born in St. Helens 10/18/1920. He had run-ins with the law when working as a logger in Washington and ultimately fled to Medford to avoid being caught for violating his parole. McGahuey was known for having a violent temper

McGahuey started a relationship with Loris Cameron in Central Point. Estranged from her husband, Loris had a 2-year old son, Rod. On 02/13/1961, McGahuey and Loris had a heating argument that resulted in McGahuey bludgeoning, stabbing, strangling, and ultimately shooting Loris. With twisted thinking, McGahuey felt it would be bad to let Rod grow up without his mother and killed him as well. McGahuey skipped town and left for California, returning to Medford a week later.

If McGahuey was capable of any remorse, he only showed it when being held for passing bad checks a few weeks later. While awaiting trial, McGahuey broke down and admitted his murders. McGahuey freely admitted the crime and waived his right to a preliminary trial, but never gave a reason for killing Loris. While being held for the murder, the gun used to shoot Loris was found at a pawn shop in Redding, CA. It took four hours for the jury to find McGahuey guilty.

07/1962 McGahuey was executed by gas chamber, the last inmate in Oregon to be executed this way. Another execution was not done in the State of Oregon until 1996. His last words were simply "That's it". McGahuey was tied to another murder during the time he was a logger in Washington but was never tried. He never gave reasoning for committing his crimes despite freely admitting committing them.

source: Wikipedia

#oregon #serial killer

The Phantom Photographer

The Baldwin Hotel is the oldest public building in Klamath Falls. Built in 1905 by George Baldwin. It was the tallest building in Southern Oregon, for a time, and one of the few buildings constructed with brick. George had originally put a hardware store and apartments in the building but in 1909, after seeing that the growth of the railroad, changed the building into a hotel.

George had a daughter, Maud, who took thousands of photographs around the Klamath Basin. She worked out of hotel room 401 and documented the growth of Klamath Falls, the people, and nature which was no easy feat at the turn of the century. Photography equipment was bulky and fragile. Yet, Maud's photos were beautiful and composed with an artist's eye.

As is often the case with women, especially in the early 1900s, Maud moved away from photography to take care of her ailing mother and assisting with her father's business and civic dealings. In 1920, these responsibilities fell on her hard after the death of her father. From reports she took on these responsibilities even with having siblings. In 1926 it proved to be too much and she drowned herself in the Link River. Even after this, Maud's presence continues to be a specter on the Baldwin Hotel.

Staff and visitors have alleged to see orbs in the building, especially around the 4th floor of the hotel. Disembodied voices and sounds have been experienced throughout the hotel. Even full body apparition of Maud have been sighted. For someone who devoted much of her life to the hotel and Klamath Falls as a whole, it is not surprising Maud would want to stay around.

The Klamath County Museum holds flashlight tours September through October. I wouldn't call them ghost tours, but the museum has left room 401 to look like Maud's photography studio. They will leave the light on the the room for Maud.

#oregon #klamath falls #ghost #haunting

UFO or UF-No?

Fun fact: Oregon ranks 6th in the nation for UFO sightings. While lacking in major military bases, the availability of clear skies with little to no light pollution , it is no surprise flying objects would be observed. If you are more on the new age spiritual side of things, Oregon sits between major mountains of mystery (Mount Shasta and Mount St. Helens) which may attract this aerial phenomenon. Be it aliens, time travelers, 4th dimension hoppers, or just satellites, Oregon's fascination with UFOs goes back to the beginning heyday of UFO sightings: the 1950s.

May 11, 1950, Paul and Evelyn Trent, farmers in McMinnville sighted a disc-shaped object in the sky around 7:30 PM. The Trents grabbed their camera and were able to snap two photos before the disc sped off. Allegedly, Paul's father also saw the disc. In very pragmatic fashion, the Trents did not develop the photos right away as they still had film they could use on the roll. The photos were not developed until after May 14th of the same year. June 8th the photos appeared in the Telephone-Register, the local McMinnville news paper, with the reporter alleging the photos to be genuine proof of a UFO. Life Magazine and Time both had articles about the supposed sighting.

The Trents were interviewed by the Air Force, astronomer William K. Hartmann, and multiple publications. As with all UFO photographs, people are divided on the authenticity of the photographs. The biggest point of contention with the photos were the wires crossing the first photo. Depending on who you spoke to, it either was proof positive of the photos being genuine or fabricated. You can see for yourself:

What is not contested are the Trents themselves: reported to be honest, simple farmers who never attempted to gain fame or fortune from their photographs. Their story remained consistent until their deaths, Evelyn in 1997 and Paul in 1998. It is their sincerity and honesty that appear to impress their interviewers the most.

In 1999, local restaurateurs McMenamins started holding an annual UFO Fest that continues to this day. The festival takes itself semi-seriously, hosting ufologist speakers to tell their tales; it also hosts a parade, art, and UFO Experience packages you can purchase for the two McMenamins hotels near and in McMinnville.

sources: KPTV, Wikipedia, UFO Fest

#ufo #oregon

My, What Big Feet You Have.

The idea of hairy wild men have been around almost as long as humanity has. These stories, drawing from the eons ago when multiple hominid species existed or genuinely there exists a cryptid in the world is still up in the air. Many of the supposed Bigfoot sightings have been debunked but a handful remain as mysteries. In 1967, Bigfoot burst into the cultural zeitgeist with the Patterson-Gimlin film. The film alleges to show Bigfoot, unsurprisingly, walking. From there, sightings continued to expand both in the USA and abroad.

Indigenous tribes across America contain stories of hairy large men, the majority of tribes reporting sightings in the Pacific Northwest. In Oregon proper, the Nehalem Tillamook have stories of "wild men" that left large tracks around the Nehalem settlements. Some of the Paiute near Warm Springs believe Bigfoot to be a "stick Indian", a spirit that will attempt to lure people away from home, never to be seen again.

Oregon does have the distinction of one of the first published Bigfoot encounters; The Oregonian published in 1924 of a clash between gold prospectors and "ape men" near Mount St. Helens. When a prospector shot one of the "ape men", the whole lot came back at dark and pelted the cabin with heavy rocks and tree limbs. The men fled from their cabin the next day. Interestingly enough, the Chinook have a legend of skoocooms, a race of cannibal wild men living on Mount St. Helens.

For Southern Oregon in particular, logging in the Cascades reported sightings of large men starting in 1957. Enough sightings have occurred in the Klamath-Siskiyou mountains that there exists Bigfoot Trail. In the Siskiyou mountains proper, the world's only Bigfoot trap near Collins Mountain. Oregon continues to be a hotbed for Bigfoot activity through present day. Bigfoot has been become a well known mascot for schools, brands, restaurants, and more in Oregon.

So a real entity? A tale that has just been passed down for millennium? Misidentified animals? Who can say? Oregon still contains thousands of acres of dense forest that could very well hide Bigfoot, as it does multiple mountain communities, but that's a story for another day.

sources: Oregon Wild, Wikipedia

#bigfoot #oregon #cryptid

We're Just Here for the Cult Stuff

Oregon has a weird history with cults. While I wouldn't say Oregon is a cult haven, outside of the I5 corridor there are expanses of land and people value their privacy. Oregon is also extremely tolerant to different religions from, Christian denominations to New Age groups. This makes for a combination that can be rich in opportunity for people wanting to start their own religious movements.

Known Cults Let's get the most infamous out of the way: Rajneesh. Famous enough to have a Netflix documentary, the Rajneesh were lead by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who acting as a guru, preached free love and living in the moment. Buying property near Antelope, OR, over 7,000 people moved into the very small town, creating a divide between the new devotees and the "old timers" of the town. The Rajneesh have the morbid distinction of being the first bioterroists when the leaders of the movement were arrested after attempting to poison the population of The Dalles with Salmonella. Their reasoning was that they wanted county elections to go in their favor. Antelope still stands as a ghost town, now run by a paramilitary Christian group.

The Brides of Christ were centered in Corvallis, OR. Started by Franz Edmund Creffield in 1903, the cult drew in women of wealth who were enamoured by Creffield's charisma. He claimed to have a direct line to God and was seen as a Jesus figure by many of the women in the cult. Creffield had his way with many of the women in his congregration, garnering the ire of the husbands, fathers, and brothers of the women. They went so far as to tar and feather Creffield in 1904 but this did not deter him; what did was when he was arrested and sent to prison for adultery, at the time a crime in the State of Oregon. The church fell apart after Creffield was killed by the brother of a child bring he had planned to wed.

The Alleged The following have...a reputation within Southern Oregon as being cult-like, however everything I am about to listed is all ALLEGED cults in the area. There are first hand reports from individuals who were involved with these groups and many of them appear to follow the BITE Model (Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional Control) to keep their followers in the flock.

RV Saltshakers are an antiabortion group that practice street evangelism, but is mostly known in the area as protesting in front of Planned Parenthood. An article from the Rogue Free Press discuss how ex-member Gabriel Macias felt that he was brainwashed by the group. “Rules and regulations mean nothing to them,” Macias said. “They’ll push everything to the limit, just enough to get their message across. Now, when I was with them, they never talked about doing anything violent. It was just getting in people’s faces, yelling, screaming, harassing. Things like that.” Intimidation tactics and threats of eternal damnation were used to keep members inline. RV Saltshakers are still around, but activists have sprung up to counter the group, such as the RV Peppershakers.

Spirit Weavers are an all women's group in Cave Junction, OR. Focusing on holistic medicine, alternative practices, and handmade items, the group bills itself as a place where women can explore themselves and the nature around them. An exworker took to Reddit to write what she had experienced as a worker with Spirit Weavers: "We were told it wasn’t safe to leave the grounds of Spirit Weavers, that the people of the town were out to get us and only a few, pre-vetted stores and bakeries were safe to interact with. Most of us believed the leader and stayed on the grounds, which were gated and guarded “for our protection”. ... Worse than that was the mental toll- the leader and the people she sent to us to lead our work groups told us that were had been brainwashed by the “toxic world out there” and needed to stay at Spirit Weavers to undo the damage that had been done. They encouraged us to stop taking prescription meds. ...The mothers left their children unsupervised in the tents in the rain, took psychedelics, and danced around the bonfire literally all night."

Ashland is home to a growing "spiritual movement" called Twin Ray. Essentially, this group will sell you extremely high priced items and tinctures to help elevate you into your higher state. The leaders allege to be reincarnated from multiple past lives spanning eons. Perhaps most interestingly, they have a store front on the main street that intersects Ashland. An Ashlander going by Bee Kay has been documenting TwinRay for the past year.

sources: KOIN, State of Oregon, KGW8, Rogue Free Press

#oregon #ashland or #cult #cults

A Beautiful Gate to Hell Part 2

In modern times, Crater Lake has not been able to shake the reputation of it's legends. From the time of being "discovered" by white settlers and into this current year, death and mystery continues to surround the lake. From missing people, to missing aircraft there are a multitude of recorded events that continue to add to the idea that Crater Lake is really a gate to the underworld.

The Missing Persons Missing person stories have become a popular topic on the internet in the last few decades thanks in large part to David Paulides and his conspiracy theories revolving around national parks. As Crater Lake falls under this category, the stories of people just disappearing have been around since the 1850's. In 1853, three explorers went in search of a missing miner who, allegedly, knew where a gold mine was located near the lake. John Hillman has the distinction of being the first reported casualty in the common era, allegedly falling to his death when his horse lost it's footing. The gold mine has never been discovered.

In 1947, a Mr. Cornelius was on the side of the caldera with his wife. He handed his affairs to his wife and fell, or jumped, into the caldera. Being badly beaten, he still had enough strength to drag himself to the lake's waters and drowned. It is unclear if this was an accident or a suicide.

Charles McCuller wears the grim mantle of being the most spoken of missing person in Crater Lake. In 1975 he journeyed to the lake to take photos of the area during winter. He was never seen alive again. The FBI was involved in the search but no trace of him was found until a year later. His remains, only shin and foot bones, were 12 miles from where he had last been spotted in 1975. While his death was ruled natural, the odd nature of his remains was remarked by park rangers to be like "he melted away".

In 2006, an 8 year old boy went missing. Sammy Boehlke disappeared within minutes of his father, Kenneth, losing sight of him near Cleetwood Cove. The search for him lasted months and again included the assistance of the FBI, but no trace has been found of him to this day.

This is only a few of the many individuals who have gone missing in Crater Lake. It is worth to note that Crater Lake is vast, cold, has dense wood, and keeps a snow pack year round. The snow and cold can cause people to slip or do strange things in the throes of hypothermia.

The Missing Aircraft In 1945, a F6F Hellcat crashed into Crater Lake, taking it's pilot with it. While the plane was discovered in 1946, the remains of the pilot were uncovered only in 1970. A park ranger discovered the pilot's skull under a log, appearing to be staring right at him.

In 1975, Dave Nunn with two student pilots went missing over the lake. Jean Nunn, David's wife, recalled being woken up at 9:30PM that night to the feeling of a hand on her leg. When Jean contacted the Klamath Falls Airport, it was revealed the plane was lost at 9:20PM. The aircraft and it's passengers were discovered in 1982 near Huckleberry Campground. In Dave's pocket was a folder piece of paper that read: "Lose not thine airspeed, lest the ground rise up and smite thee."

In 1995, a helicopter carrying three men to Las Vegas crashed into the lake. It sank immediately, taking it's passengers with it. The bodies have not been recovered from the lake, nor has the helicopter been found. It is believe it shattered on impact with the lake and the pieces are too small to be seen on radar.

The Haunted Topography Wizard Island is the newest volcano cone to emerge from the lake, approximately 7,300 years ago. The island has a reputation for having fires randomly appear on it. Some of these fire alleged to have figures standing around it, but at no point has the fires been actually discovered on the island.

The Old Man is a 35 foot tall mountain hemlock that first began to journey in the waters of the lake 400 years ago, but first documented in 1896. The tree stands upright in the water, three feet above and the rest below. Moss that normally grows on the bottom of the lake also grows on the tree. The cold and clear waters allow individuals to see whole of the tree deep into the lake. Old Man is also reported to control the weather around Crater Lake. In 1988 when a submersible planned to explore the lake, Old Man was tied up to keep from accidentally floating into the craft. The weather grew ugly with heavy winds and storm clouds. When the tree was released to meander around the lake, the weather calmed. Allegedly, this is also why park rangers no longer stand on the tree.

sources: Ancient Origins, Crater Lake Institute, Only In Your State, KTVL, Offbeat Oregon

#oregon #crater lake #haunted

A Beautiful Gate to Hell Part 1

By Mike Doukas, USGSderivative work

Crater Lake has multiple distinctions: the deepest lake in the United States, a national park designated by Theodore Roosevelt, it's deep blue waters, ecology, geology, and a spiritual site for the Klamath Tribe. As with all national parks in the USA, there are many stories and tales of persons disappearing over it's 122 year history. Even it's first encounter by white settlers has an air of mystery to it. It also is a beautiful place to visit.

The Klamath have an oral history that describes when Crater Lake erupted from a volcano that has been named Mt. Mazama and this tale has survived to present day. 7,700 years ago, ancestors to the current Klamath Tribe tell of a vicious battle between Llao and Skell - Llao lived beneth Mt. Mazama, or Tum-sum-ne, and was a spirit of the underworld; Skell lived on Mt. Shasta and was a spirit of the sky. Llao saw a daughter of the Klamath Chieft, Loha, and fell in love with her. She rejected his advances and brought down Llao's ire by fire upon the Klamath people. They turned to Skell for help and protection and a war between the two gods commenced. In the bedlam and terror of the battle, two medicine men from the Klamath tribe jumped into Mt. Mazama to appease the spirits. Their sacrifice inspired Skell, who fought harder and ultimately defeated Llao, driving him back into the underworld and imprisoning him by covering the gateway to the underworld with rock and then the lake, or Giiwas.

The battles of Llao and Skell did not end there. In the Final Battle between the two spirits, Llao struck Skell down. Llao's followers took Skell's heart to the lake, however followers of Skell stole the heart and were able to revive the spirit. In a final act, Skell killed Llao and had his body cut into pieces and fed to the creatures of the lake through a ruse; they thought they were eating Skell until they saw Llao's head, which was left untouched. Llao's head is Wizard Island, a cinder cone from further eruptions of the mountain.

Crater Lake continued to be a sacred site to the Klamath Tribe. They believed the spirit of Llao still resides in the lake. They believe that it is still a gateway to the underworld. If one stares too long at the lake, they will be unable to look away and be drawn into the waters to their death. The lake was used in vision quests of the Klamath Tribes, and those who survived the caldera walls were regarded has having more spiritual powers. The lake is so sacred that the Klamath Tribes did not tell white settlers of it.

All of this is to set the scene of Crater Lake. Birthed in fire and surrounded by myths for thousands of years, it is no surprise that the area continues to have an air of mystery to it.

sources: Wikipedia, Oregon History Project

#oregon #crater lake #klamath

All Because of Shoes

Fetishes are weird. The fixation of an individual to one thing that will grant them sexual gratification can have a ring of cheesiness or cringe to it, yet many prevail in society. What causes a person to become fixated is still debated, with classical conditioning, a misfire of the brain, to imprinting at an early age as being potential causes. Maybe it's one reason, maybe it's all of them, but one strong fact is that men are more likely to develop a fetish than women. This is a story about one such man.

Jerry Brudos was the youngest child of his family. His mother had wanted a daughter and her displeasure was known to Brudos from an early age. When his mother discovered Brudos had stolen high heels from a local junkyard, the abuse he suffered by his mother increased. The family settled in Salem, OR, where Brudos's fixation on shoes continued to escalate to the point where he was willing to commit crimes to fulfill his desires.

Brudos stalked and beat women in his teens to steal their shoes. He even had a stint in Oregon State Hospital for a time where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. This stay did not cure him of his fetishism with shoes and it only continued to manifest in nightly prowling and mental abuse of his wife to accomplish satisfaction.

From 1968 to 1969, Jerry Brudros murdered four young women in his garage that he had transformed into a private chamber. His wife could not enter without first buzzing an intercom. He kept "trophies" of body parts, one of which was a foot in order to model his collection of high heels. Of his four victims, Linda Slawson, Jan Whitney, Karen Sprinker, and Linda Salee, he was convinced of murdering 3. Brudos was the longest incarcerated inmate of the Oregon Department of Corrections for 37 years until his death in 2006.

Culturally, Brudos's oddity and singular fixation on shoes have gone beyond the Oregon borders: Silence of the Lambs Buffalo Bill was based in part on Jerry Brudros. J. K. Rowling also based her serial killer character in Troubled Blood on Brudos.

Part of why Brudos was captured and convicted was the collection of "trophies" and photographs he took of his victims. The callous nature in which he killed just for the parts he fixated on may be partially understood by what he said after being caught.

"Detective Jim Byrnes recalled a conversation with Brudos in which he asked him, "Do you feel some remorse, Jerry? Do you feel sorry for your victims, for the girls who died?" Brudos then picked a half-piece of paper up off of the table, wadded it up into a ball and threw it on the floor, whereupon he replied, "I care about those girls as much as I care about that piece of wadded up paper."

sources: Wikipedia

#oregon #serial killer #jerry brudos

A Ghost Town and a Ghost Story

Southern Oregon has it's fair share of old gold mines from the 1880 that have left a mark on, and in, the the area. Mixed in the tales of haunted mines and caves, there exists a story I heard of in high school of haunted mine located outside of Applegate, OR. Tales goes that Chinese miners were brought to the site after the white settlers and gold miners had have their pick. When the white foreman felt enough gold was brought up, he dynamited the mine, burying all of the Chinese miners underneath. While ghastly, the story is a microcosm of the very real racism that has steeped Oregon's history in the blood of many non-white peoples.

A grain of truth lies at the bottom of this tale, namely that while there WERE massacres of Chinese immigrants in the 1880s, they did not take place in Southern Oregon. In addition, a ghost town still survives in Southern Oregon outside of Applegate that was originally settled by Chinese miners. Combined these two stories have been combined over the decades to the story I heard while still a teen.

The actual massacre of Chinese gold miners took place in Hell's Canyon along the Snake River in 1887. A gang lead by Bruce Evans ambushed the miners of the series of two days, killing 34 in total and stealing up to $50,000.00 in gold. As with many racially tinged murders in 1880's Oregon, these men did not receive any sentencing for their crimes and the whole event was forgotten until documents were uncovered in 1995 at the Wallowa County Museum. It wasn't until 2005 that the area was renamed Chinese Massacre Cove, and in 2012 a marker was officially placed on the site.

As for the ghost town? It still stands. Buncom was built along the Little Applegate River in 1851. Gold, cinnabar, chromite, and silver were mined from the area surrounding Sterling Creek and Jacksonville until 1918. When the seams were picked dry, the town was abandoned. It wasn't until 1991 that the Buncom Historical Society was created to maintain what remained of the little town. You can still visit it, if you'd like, and see a small glimpse of Oregon's mining past.

sources: State of Oregon, Wikipedia

#oregon #applegate #ghost town #ghost

More Than The Scottish Play

It is perhaps one of the best known theater ghost stories - Shakespeare in writing Macbeth took a spell from an actual coven of witches for the infamous "Double, double, toil and trouble". Ever after the Scottish Play would befall catastrophe should anyone say "Macbeth" outside of lines from the actual play.

A glance at Wikipedia will give you a list of productions that were effected by someone breaking this rule. Ghosts and spirits are so intertwined in Shakespeare's works that it is unsurprising that tales follow theater companies who perform his plays. Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) of Ashland is no exception to this, being home (allegedly) to a handful of ghosts.

While there are stories of cold spots, props moving, shadowy figures and the like, there are a few named ghosts who have continued to show their presence - or at least have their stories retold to new members of the theater:

The most famous of the spectral guests is that of Charles Laughton, an English actor who won an academy award for his portrayal of Henry VIII in The Private Life of Henry VIII. Charles was in discussions with OSF to play King Lear but he passed before he was able to take up the role. Ever since then, his ghost is alleged to appear whenever King Lear is performed, either as an audience member or a shadowy figure backstage.

Another specter is that of a woman who can be heard singing on the third floor of Allen Elizabethan Theater. While her name is unknown, another known ghost - that of the Blue Lady of Lithia Park - has been seen roaming the halls after performances have concluded. Who could have guessed that she was a patron of the arts as well?

sources: Rogue Free Press, YouTube, Herald and News, Wikipedia

#oregon #osf #oregon shakespeare festival #ashland #ghost

So You Found Yourself an Energy Vortex

This next entry will require a little exposition to set the scene. An "energy vortex" is a spot believed to have strong energy swirling either into the earth or out from the earth. One theory amongst the metaphysical researchers is ley-line intersect at these points, creating the powerful feelings of energy in the area. Places like Sedona, AZ, Stonehenge, England, and Mt. Shasta, CA are purported to be such places. A smaller, less known place, is snuggled in the hills of Southern Oregon - The Oregon Vortex.

Legend goes that the vortex was labeled a forbidden place by the local native tribes, where horses refused to go, insects do not venture, and birds avoid. In 1904, the Old Grey Eagle Mining Company established an assay office on what would become known as the Vortex. Interestingly enough, within a few years the building and others around it had slid from their foundations, coming to rest at an angle. In 1914, the land was purchased by John Lister who set to research the paranormal phenomena in the area. In 1958, the road side attraction was sold to it's current owners.

It is believed by John Lister that there is a ley-line under the vortex that connects it to other places of power, including the Bermuda Triangle, Crater Lake, and Stonehenge. The vortex draws energy into the earth, explaining why animals avoid the area. Gravity is warped in the area, adding to the unsettling aura of the area.

One should take the above with a grain of salt. After all, building codes in the 1900s were non-existent and the area is subject to a gravity-hill optical illusion with the heavily tilted buildings. The oddities of the buildings will create a forced perspective, making people appear to grow or shrink depending on where they stand.

Or perhaps that's all part of the vortex energy.

sources: Wikipedia, Atlas Obscura

#oregon #oregon vortex #energy vortex

It's The Water

Lithia Park is a beautiful park, and I don't say that as a biased local. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, contains a Japanese Garden, and spans below the stages of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The park itself is 93 acres of forest surrounded Ashland Creek and there has not been a day I have visited that was not full of tourists. Tourists are the life blood of Ashland and the park continues to be one of the bigger draws.

It even has a Tripadvisor page.

But me talking about a beautiful park isn't why you are here. Ashland was established in 1852 and with such longevity (for the USA), tales of ghosts are bound to occur. Ashland has many ghosts, the most famous being the Blue Lady or the Blue Girl. Story goes a poor woman was raped and murdered in the park. Since there, her ghost appears as a blue mist traveling the park, staying near to the multiple duck ponds. She is known to cross the road winding the park, leaving drivers with a cold chill as she passes through vehicles.

Another famous ghost that haunts the area is The Logger. Alleged to have been killed in a work accident, he continues to walk the park, whistling with his drinking jug as an instrument.

What I find to be the oddest part of Ashland isn't it's semi-famous ghosts but it's semi-famous water. During the turn of the 20th Century, there was a health fad of drinking waters rich in minerals, one of the most famous one being Saratoga Springs in New York state. Saratoga Springs and Ashland have the distiction of both being near lithium-loaded springs and in 1911, Ashland attempted to become as famous as Saratoga Springs.

The city paid for water from the lithium oxide spring to be delivered in the down town of Ashland. However, this venture did not produce a famous spa, mostly because the health fad was no longer in style, but did produce a free-flowing fountain that is still in use to this day. Another tourist draw, it sits open to the public rain or shine, to taste a bygone fad.

Lithia water's alleged health benefits include uplifting mood and mental calm, while there has been some findings of the water assisting kidney function. For what it is worth, it tastes and smells like boiled eggs.

sources: Rogue Free Press, Travel Oregon, Wikipedia, Atlas Obscura

#lithia park #lithia springs #blue lady #oregon #ghost

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