It's hard to live in Portland and not know about the creepy tunnels that lie beneath the city. A thing of epic lore, these tunnels have a very dark past, and as a result, continue to haunt visitors more than 100 years after their construction. Take a look inside the dark underworld of Portland to see what lies beneath the city.
The tunnels of the Portland Underground connect the basements of restaurants and hotels to the waterfront.
Originally meant as a way to avoid traffic when moving goods to and from the waterfront, the tunnels were constructed in the mid to late 1800s and were well documented in Portland history.
Today though, going down into the Portland Underground might send a chill down your spine.
While the tunnels may have been built for logistical business reasons, they were used for a variety of more sinister purposes throughout their history.
One of the most widely accepted ways the tunnels were used were as brothels and opium dens.
This room below the city is constructed to look like it would have back when it was used as a brothel.
The labyrinth of trap doors, steel doors, and tunnels is unnerving when you think about them being used to hold people.
Also used as gambling dens, the tunnels were used to escape rival gangs and police raids in their heyday.
But the most sinister story has the tunnels being used for an even more frightening purpose.
Dubbed the 'Shanghai Tunnels,' the tunnels were thought to be used for the purpose of 'shanghaiing' or 'crimping,' a horrid practice that Portland was thought to lead on the west coast.
This practice involved kidnapping people through intimidation, violence or trickery to serve as sailors on ships heading to sea.
Driven by a labor shortage and boarding masters on ships who were driven by money per sailor, this practice continued throughout the late 1800s and left a dark stain on the city.
Along with the sordid past of seaman, the tunnels and building above are also thought to be haunted by a woman named Nina.
Nina was a prostitute who was killed in the elevator shaft of the building where Old Town Pizza now operates, which was once the Merchant Hotel.
Her spirit is still thought to visit the building today and is considered one of the most haunted places in the city.
Along with the many other souls who were wronged or met an unfortunate end in these tunnels, Nina lives on through the retelling of her story and keeping the legend alive.
Whatever you believe happened in the Portland Underground, you can definitely see why it gets a reputation for being creepy.
It only these walls could talk, they would have so much to tell us all about the past.
If you want to learn more about the Portland Underground, there are several tours that can take you down into the depths of the city... if you dare. Choose from a real-life ghost hunt or a creepy walking tour to explore the underground of the city.
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