Historic Haunting The Port Angeles Underground

The Port Angeles Underground, with subterranean walkways and old store fronts, was created when streets were raised above the tidal flats in 1914. This turned the first floor of many waterfront buildings into basements.

With each restoration project, additional portions of the underground area are being rediscovered and turned into a representation of the history of Port Angeles. The underground tours that are now available to tourist to experience the sights and sounds of a long gone era that is still alive and well.

Welcome to PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State Magazine On behalf of the volunteer paranormal investigators of PIHA, I invite you to experience Washington State’s amazing historical sites and museums like never before. PIHA has created a program unlike any other in Washington State. Through our process of networking with local historical societies, museums and registered historical sites, PIHA hopes to help educate the public of our state’s exciting history and the process and technology utilized in today’s paranormal investigations.

PIHA was created with two goals in mind: 1. PIHA hopes to bring our history to life by attempting to obtain significant evidence of these strange occurrences. Utilizing the latest in today’s electronic technology and dedicated paranormal investigators, we are accomplishing this objective.

2. PIHA wants to stimulate additional interest in our residents and visitors to Washington State’s fascinating history. We want to encourage individuals, families, schools and community organizations to visit these (and other) historical locations for a better understanding of our state’s history and the people who made it.

PIHA is not out to prove or disprove the existence of possible paranormal activity, but to publish any significant evidence collected at an investigation and let each individual decided for himself what to believe or not to believe.

Wherever your travels in Washington take you, best wishes for a “Trip to the Extraordinary”.

For additional information about PIHA, visit our website at www.pihausa.com

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In this Issue: Welcome to PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State Magazine…..2 Washington State History………….……..……….5 The Olympic Peninsula History…………………..7 Port Angeles History.…….………………….…….9 The Port Angeles Underground History…………11 Paranormal Investigation Report………………...13 Paranormal History Report…………………...…..14 About PIHA’s Historic Haunting of Washington State Program………….15 Contact PIH A :

PIH A M agazine Publisher:

PIHA (Paranormal Investigations of Historic America) Address: 16755 Wales Street SE City, State, Zip: Monroe, WA 98272 Phone: 360.799.4138 Email: Info@pihausa.com Website: WWW.PIHAUSA.COM

Publisher………………...…..….Historic Haunting Chief Publisher…………..……..Vaughn Hubbard Program Manager:………….…..Debbie Knapp Marketing Manager:………….....Kathy Gavin Graphic Designer:…………...…..Christian Wells

Vaughn Hubbard: Case Manager/Historian Debbie Knapp: Lead Investigator/Historian Kathy Gavin: Lead Investigator Christian Wells: Investigator

R eference M aterial: We wish to acknowledge the HistoryLink for allowing PIHA to use their published historical research information as reference material. To read about the history of Washington State visit the HistoryLink website at: WWW.HISTORYLINK.ORG

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Washington State History The State of Washington occupies the far northwest corner of the contiguous 48 United States. It occupies 66,582 square miles (176,600 square kilometers) between the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Idaho border at 117 degrees longitude. Washington borders Canada on the north along the 49th parallel and Oregon on the south along the Columbia River and 46th parallel. Great Britain and the United States jointly occupied the region between 1818 and 1846, when Britain ceded the Pacific Northwest below the 49th parallel to the U.S. In 1848 the U.S. created Oregon Territory, including the future states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and a portion of Montana. Washington Territory (including Idaho and western Montana until 1863) was separated from Oregon on March 2, 1853, and gained statehood on November 11, 1889.

The federal government created Oregon Territory on August 14, 1848. The area of the new jurisdiction included the present-day states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and western Montana. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 triggered a large westward migration, and settlement of Oregon Territory was promoted by passage of the Donation Land Claims Act of 1850, which granted 160 acres to any U.S. citizen who agreed to occupy his or her land for five years.

On August 29, 1851, 27 male settlers met at Cowlitz Landing (south of present-day Olympia) to petition Congress for a separate “Columbia Territory” covering the area between the Columbia River and 49th parallel. The petition was reaffirmed by 44 delegates who met in Monticello on November 25, 1852.

Congress approved the new territory on February 10, 1853, but changed its name to “Washington.”

President Millard Fillmore signed the bill on March 2, 1853, and Olympia was named the Territorial Capital and has remained the capital of both Washington Territory and State since 1853. President Franklyn Pierce named Isaac I. Stevens as the first governor of an area that included northern Idaho and western Montana until President Abraham Lincoln established Idaho Territory on March 4, 1863.

Washington’s non-Indian population grew steadily to more than 300,000 over the following decades. Its residents began petitioning for statehood in 1881, and Washington was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, with the signature of President Benjamin Harrison.

Thirty federally recognized sovereign Indian tribes and reservations occupy substantial areas in Washington, and there are an additional seven unrecognized but culturally distinct tribes. Native American Indian tribes have occupied this area; now know as Washington State for over 10,000 years and have a rich history in culture and survival. By the 1850s, when the first Euro American settlers arrived at Alki Point and along the Duwamish River, diseases had already taken a devastating toll on native peoples and their cultures. During the 80 year period from the 1770s to 1850, smallpox, measles, influenza, and other diseases had killed an estimated 28,000 Native Americans in Western Washington, leaving about 9,000 survivors. Historian Robert Boyd conducted extensive research on the effect of European diseases on Northwest coast Indians. In his book, The Coming of the Spirit of Pestilence, he states that the 1775 Spanish expedition led by Bruno Hezeta, commander of the Santiago and Juan Fracisco de la Bodega & Quadra, commander of the Sonora was the most likely carrier.

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The History of the Olympic Peninsula Captain George Vancouver’s expedition left England in 1791 in the ships Discovery and Chatham to explore the Northwest Coast of North America.

Vancouver sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, explored the South Pacific, and wintered in the Hawaiian Islands, before reaching the Northwest Coast in April 1792.

Captain Robert Gray, born in Tiverton, Rhode Island, in 1755, was on his second fur trading voyage to the Northwest. Two days before encountering Gray, Vancouver sailed past the mouth of the Columbia. Like Gray, he noted signs indicating a river flowing into the ocean.

However, Vancouver relied on the reports of an English captain named John Meares, who investigated the purported river mouth in 1788 and concluded decisively (though wrongly) that no such river existed.

By April 1792, Vancouver’s expedition had entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca and commenced his exploration of Puget Sound and making maps of the regions he explored. Vancouver named the features he encountered for his friends, patrons, crewmembers, and even his ships. He named every island, mountain, waterway, and point of land in sight -- 75 in all.

After leaving the river, Gray continued trading north up the coast. In late June, his ship, Columbia, was damaged in a storm, and he spent a month at Nootka on Vancouver Island, repairing it. Vancouver also visited Nootka, saw Gray's chart, and recognized his error. In October 1792, Vancouver sent William Broughton in the Chatham, with a copy of Gray's chart, to explore the Columbia River. Broughton sailed farther up the river than Gray had, charting and naming many features along the way. Broughton named a point Vancouver located on the north shore of the lower Columbia in honor of his commander.

The Olympic Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and diverse regions in the country. With its tall timber, abundant wildlife and vast water resources it’s no wonder that the early settlers chose this location to start a new life. The communities of the Olympic Peninsula are as diverse as its weather. Some depend on the lumber industry and others on the fishing industry while still other communities have become national Historic Sites depending on tourism. The Olympic Rainforest can get 12 feet of rain a year where as Sequim, only 100 miles away receives less than 15” of rainfall annually. But they all have one thing in common; most of these communities have a history of paranormal activity and lots of ghost stories to tell.

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The History of Port Angeles Washington Port Angeles, the county seat of Clallam County since 1890, is built on the site of two major Klallam villages, I'e'nis and Tse-whit-zen, on the north shore of the Olympic Peninsula.

The first non-Indians reached the villages in 1791. Spanish naval vessels San Carlos and the Santa Saturnina, on an exploring expedition headed by Francisco de Eliza, entered the deep harbor that Eliza named Puerto de Nuestra Se単ora de Los Angeles.

British Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver (1757-1798) followed the Spanish a year later.

The first American settlers at Port Angeles were Angus Johnson, Alexander Sampson, Rufus Holmes and William Winsor, although accounts differ as to who arrived first and whether that first arrival came in 1856 or 1857. None brought families -- Sampson was separated from his wife and the others were bachelors.

A handful of additional settlers arrived over the next few years. In 1859 several of the newer arrivals joined with Sampson, Holmes, and Winsor to form the Cherbourg Land Company to plat a town site and sell lots, despite the fact that by law their donation land claims were only for settlement, not re-sale.

Victor Smith, his wife Caroline, and their four children moved to Port Angeles, apparently the first non-Indian family to settle there. Numerous relatives came with them. Samuel Stork, married to one of Victor Smith's sisters, established a trading post at Port Angeles in 1861 along with Smith's brother Henry. Victor's father, George Smith, served as keeper at Tatoosh Lighthouse off Cape Flattery and became the first keeper of the Ediz Hook lighthouse when it opened in 1865.

Not until the mid 1880s -- a boom time throughout Washington Territory -- did Port Angeles see permanent commercial development. In 1883 and 1884 Eben Gay Morse built a hotel and his son-in-law David W. Morse, who had taken over Stork's trading post, expanded it into the first general store. David Morse also built the first wharf, at the location of the current ferry pier. These developments began attracting newcomers to build homes nearby.

On July 4, 1890, local residents begin settling illegally on a federal reserve that occupies much of the land that will soon become downtown Port Angeles. The 3,520-acre reservation has been largely off limits for development since Port Angeles was founded 28 years earlier as a "national city" by the federal government. "Jumping the Reserve" soon gets the government's attention and the squatters are eventually allowed to stake legal claim to their lots.

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The History of the Port Angeles Underground Port Angeles is a city steeped in history as a logging center of the Olympic Peninsula. The whole downtown area was raised in the early 1900s and many older buildings were lost until the remains were recently discovered and are undergoing a remarkable renovation. This underground area provides an insight into the past living conditions and that includes the discovery of one of the brothels and a link to a darker side of Port Angeles.

Because Port Angeles was built without much forethought and so close to the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, before 1914 the town would be flooded at high tide.

The Port Angeles Underground, with subterranean walkways and old store fronts, was created when streets were raised above the tidal flats in 1914. This turned the first floor of many waterfront buildings into basements.

Instead of moving the entire town farther inland, a plan was devised to use seawater to wash dirt from a nearby hillside into a series of dams that would trap the dirt and raise the level of the town 14 to 16 feet.

Some businesses were raised on stilts during the process so the dirt would fill in underneath.

The main floors of other buildings were turned into basements, then the second floors at the new street level were remodeled as storefronts.

The sluicing created a slice of history underground (old storefront, tunnels, etc.) that remains today and is accessible to visitors. Water-main projects over the past decade have covered much of the underground with sand, and the city plans to cover what remains unless town preservationists can raise enough cash to save it.

With each restoration project, additional portions of the underground area are being rediscovered and turned into a representation of the history of Port Angeles. The underground tours that are now available to tourist to experience the sights and sounds of a long gone era that is still alive and well.

To visit the Port Angeles Underground area and learn about its remarkable history, contact Don Perry’s Heritage Tours of Port Angeles and don’t be surprised if you happen to encounter a ghost or two that are still haunting the old Port Angeles Underground.

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The PIHA Grey Team’s Paranormal Investigation On May 21st 2010 the PIHA Grey Team accomplished a paranormal investigation of the Port Angeles Underground and came away with some interesting results indicating that possible paranormal activity does exist in this historic site. These are the results of that investigation.

The PIHA Grey Team began their investigation at 8:00 PM with PIHA Lead Investigator, Kathy Gavin, was assisted by Don Perry, Deputy Mayor of Port Angeles and owner of Heritage Tours of Port Angeles. Barbara Frederick, Executive Director, Port Angeles Downtown Association and Willie Nelson owner of All Points Charters and Tours also participated in the investigation.

As is the usual practice, the team first completes a scan of the area to be investigated. They use their EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detectors to locate any abnormal electronic energy that may exist. A team member also scans for any significant changes in the ambient (room) temperature.

Next, the Grey Team sets up their IR (Infrared) camcorders to video tape any shadows or strange movement that may take place during their EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) session.

Finally they position the parabolic dish that they use to record any noises or voices that may or may not be heard by ear. The parabolic dish also has a headset attached allowing an investigator to hear any voices or noises that cannot be heard naturally by the other investigators during the EVP session. This has proven to be a valuable tool to validate anything recorded during the EVP session that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Note: Vaughn was testing his theory at this investigation that there was really no reason to do a paranormal investigation in the dark. Part of the time throughout the investigation, Vaughn left all of the lights on in the area being investigated. After reviewing all of the evidence obtained, Vaughn concluded the there was no discernable difference in the amount of or type of evidence obtained whether the lights were on or off.

On another unrelated investigation at another location in Seattle, Vaughn scheduled that investigation to take place on a Sunday morning starting at 8:00 AM and ending at noon.

Again, evidence was obtained of possible paranormal activity.

Vaughn has concluded that if ghost actually exist, they can be seen, heard and felt anytime, day or night with the lights on or off. The main reason that most paranormal organizations investigate late at night is that there are fewer people in and around the area or building being investigated and the same is true for vehicle traffic. All of these factors can contaminate recordings being made during the actual investigation. Basically, the quieter it is, the better chance we have of recording possible evidence of paranormal activity.

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Results of the PIHA Paranormal Investigation: 9:50 PM – During an EVP session in the Boiler Room Kathy felt a tickle on the back of her hair.

10:20 PM – A faint female voice and breathing was recorded on the parabolic dish during setup in the Boiler Room, then Debbie’s K-II meter lights up indicating and EMF (Electromagnetic Field) energy source is present.

10:29 PM – While in the Boiler Room the team hears what sounds like creaking door opening in another room.

10:30 PM – In the Boiler Room Debbie's flashlight is thrown against an object about 2 feet away from where it lay on the floor.

10:30 PM - Debbie gets cold chills-Cindy has hair stand up on her neck.

10:40 PM – A strange clicking noise is heard and recorded in the Boiler Room.

11:26 PM – During Dave’s EVP session a very faint voice is captured on the parabolic dish that could be a child’s voice.

11:27 PM – In the Tunnel area Dave asked if someone there is hot or cold living in the tunnel and gets a response of "Cold"

The History of Paranormal Activity There have been stories of voices, cold breezes, footsteps and aberration images told by visitors of the Port Angeles Underground. Another paranormal group investigated the Underground last year and claimed to have taken a picture with a woman's face appearing in a window.

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O n behalf of the volunteer paranorm par anorm al investigators of PIH A , w e invite you to experience W ashington State’s am azing historical sites and m useum s like never before. PIH A has created a program unlike any other in W ashington State. Through our process of netw orking w ith local H istorical Societies, m useum s and registered historical sites, PIH A hopes to help educate the public of our state’s exciting history and the process pro cess and technology utilized in paranorm al research. research .

E ach m onth, onth , "PIH A M agazine" features feature s the history of a tow n or com m unity, and the individual m useum s and historical histor ical sites that w e investigated. PIH A schedules tw o com m unities to visit tw ice in a m onth. W e then schedule tw o separate investigations at a m useum and/or and/ or public historical site, site , for each w eekend visit. This process allow s us to do a paranorm al investigation at four different historical sites each m onth.

The PIH A A pproach to Paranorm al Investigations The PIH A “G rey Team ” is m ade up of dedicated paranorm al a l investigators w ith a passion for history and a curiosity in the paranorm al phenom ena. O ur approach, equipm ent and procedures to paranorm al investigating are prim arily based on research and logic in obtaining evidence of possible paranorm al activity.

PIH A never use m edium s, psychics or O uija B oards in our investigations. M any people w ho think that som ething paranorm al exist, physics and logic can debunk. That said, occasionally PIH A obtains evidence that neither physics nor logic applies. W hen this occurs, w e classify it as paranorm al evidence and let each individual decide for him self w hat to believe or not believe.

If your historical com m unity, m useum or public historical site has a history of paranorm al activity and w ould like a free paranorm al investigation, investiga tion, please contact: Vaughn Hubbard, PIHA, Case Manager/Historian Email: Vaughn@pihausa.com Website: www.PIHAUSA.com

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