There are certain parts of history that are ugly, full of horrific and shameful events that many would like to forget. But these dark times are part of our collective history -- and present -- and it's important to acknowledge and learn from them so that we can make amends, move forward, and not repeat the same mistakes. In Portland, Oregon, there is a place that's left a dark mark on the city, an underworld that was home to some truly horrific happenings in the 19th-century. Today, the Portland Shanghai Tunnel is not only a place of immense significance in Oregon history, but it's also considered to be one of the most haunted places in the world.
Below the cobblestone streets of Portland, there lies a network of abandoned tunnels that tell of a very dark and troubled time in Oregon history.
Portland was one of the most dangerous ports in the U.S. during the early 19th century; this PNW town was the epicenter of an illicit and inhumane maritime practice known as shanghaiing.
While originally designed for storage and transportation, the Shanghai Tunnels were also used to traffic -- or “shanghai” -- men from the streets of Portland to work as unpaid laborers on ship crews.
The men were drugged and then dragged into the tunnels; many toiled for years before being released, and some perished deep in this underworld.
Women would get the same treatment, but instead of winding up aboard a ship to help with daily operations, they were transported to faraway locations and sold into prostitution rings.
The Shanghai tunnels held multiple cells where victims would wait to meet their fate. While much of the tunnel system has since been filled in, portions of this shadowy prison still stand. Today, tours are given of the remaining segments of the tunnels, where old Opium dens and trap doors sit collecting dust.
Each tour begins with an above-ground stroll and history lesson of the area before descending into the dust below street level, where guides divulge a dark and evil history.
This is a very dark and violent time in Oregon's history, so it should come as no surprise that these tunnels are now said to be haunted by the aggrieved spirits of the captives who died in the dark recesses beneath the city. Voices, whispers, and strange happenings have all been reported in the tunnels.
Can you imagine the horror of looking up at the sky for the last time, before being swallowed up by the darkness below? It's truly a nightmare, and no wonder the tunnels are a hotbed of ghostly activity and haunted happenings.
History lives and breathes in the space beneath the streets of Portland, Oregon, and it's a harrowing, haunting history worth learning about.
To learn more about the Portland Shanghai Tunnel and set up a tour, visit the Cascade Geographic Society website.
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