While many businesses would shy away from any correlation of being haunted, McMenamins does not take that approach. Instead, they actually keep a Ghost Log at the front desk so that guests are able to report any unusual occurrences that happen during their stay at the hotel. It's the stories behind the hauntings, though, are what keep many people up at night.
With a bright and cheery sign out front, no one would imagine the history that this building holds.
Originally built as the Multnomah County Poor Farm in 1911, the building's destitute residents were successful in food production for themselves, as well as the county jail and hospital.
Originally called inmates, the 300-person labor crew that resided in the building, raised hogs, poultry and dairy, as well as vegetables and fruit on the expansive farm property.
During the Great Depression, the population rose to over 600, making for tight quarters for the residents.
By the 1940s, the population shrunk again, and most of the people left were elderly or incapacitated. The farm continued its operations until the 1960s.
Later, the building served as a sanatorium and reform school for troubled teens before it became vacant in the 1990s and the subject of much vandalism.
During its run, the home saw much death. As with many poorhouses of the time, residents were buried in unmarked graves, perhaps contributing to the unrest of their souls.
People frequently report run-ins with the paranormal at the hotel, from someone pulling their hair to ghosts in their rooms at night to mysterious orbs in pictures taken in the hotel.
A woman's voice reciting nursery rhymes as well as crying in the building is also frequently reported. With so many people dying in the building it is no wonder that some spirits may still be hanging around.
If you are lucky, you may see a woman in white on the grounds of the building. You just never know when you will be walking over an unmarked grave and rouse a spirit from its slumber at this haunted location.
Have you stayed at this allegedly haunted hotel near Portland? If you're intrigued by creepy places, you may also want to check out this haunted tunnel.
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