Go to CGS home *
Go to Shanghai Secrets
*
Go to the
Tour FAQ's *
Read the 18 key points for
success
Please feel free to read the full text below or use the following questions to jump through the text.
What exactly are the tunnels? | What exactly was shanghaiing? | What do the tours cover?
What can I expect on the tour? | Are there different tours? | How many people will go with me?
How much does this cost?
|
Arranging for your group to attend
|
Learn the 18 key points for tour success
Many more questions and answers can be found on the FAQ page.
The
"Portland Underground" tunnels, more popularly known as the
"Shanghai Tunnels", were basements of buildings that connected to other
buildings through brick and stone archways that were intersected with tunnels
that connected under the streets, linking block to block. These "catacombs" or
"tombs", as they were sometimes called, created a unique network of passages and
thoroughfares that were used by unscrupulous individuals called "shanghaiiers"
or "crimps", in addition to "white slavers" who grabbed women and sold them into
prostitution.
Shanghaiing was
an illegal maritime practice where
able-bodied men --- sailors, loggers, cowboys, sheepherders, ranch hands,
construction workers, and vagabonds, in addition to other hard workers who were
either employed or who frequented the waterfront, were grabbed or kidnapped and
sold to sea captains who forced them to work aboard their ships for no pay.
Portland was unique because trap doors (known as "deadfalls") were used to drop
the unsuspecting victims into the "Portland Underground", where they were
forcibly held in cells until the ship was ready to set sail. From 1850 to 1941,
the so-called Victorian-refined Portland was known as the "Unheavenly City"
or the "Forbidden City", due to this shocking practice. And, during
"Prohibition", the saloons literally went "Underground" and occupied a portion
of this so-called "Underground City", creating an even greater opportunity for
men to find themselves aboard a ship bound for the Orient.
Today you can take an educational tour of the infamous "Portland Underground" that focuses on the shanghai trade which survived in the City of Portland from 1850-1941. In addition the tours may discuss "white slavery", prohibition, and even the turn-of-the-century history of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W) labor movement in the Northwest. Also, depending upon the tour taken, a discussion of the early history of the Chinese is covered, along with the Japanese and the Gypsies. These tours are operated by the Cascade Geographic Society (CGS) and provide a unique glimpse back into the hidden (or buried) past of the "City of Roses"
Individuals or groups are encouraged to read the Tour FAQ page to find answers to some commonly asked questions. As always feel free to contact us for more information. Thanks to the owners of Hobo's Restaurant in Old Town the tours of the infamous "Shanghai Tunnels" have found an entrance into this hidden world of darkness and shadows where Portland's secret history still hides. Please DO NOT contact the restaurant for information regarding tours. All tours are provided by Michael Jones, and he can be reached at:
Tours take approximately an hour and a half, and participants are accompanied by a guide at all times. The tour participants receive and above-ground orientation, and then the guide will lead the group into the "Portland Underground", where they will receive the majority of the historical and oral history about this infamous maritime practice that gave Portland a notorious reputation throughout the world. Tour participants must be able to handle stairs that lead to and from this hidden world. In addition, there will be dust, dirt, musty smells, and anything else that would be associated with this type of environment, so if you need a dust mask, please bring one. Also, at each station people will be required to stand for at least 15 minutes at a time in order to receive the necessary information. Also, the "Portland Underground" is constantly in transition as more and more sections are opened or restored, which is why some people have taken this tour several times.
Additionally there is more than one type of tour.
Go to CGS home *
Go to Shanghai Secrets
*
Go to the
Tour FAQ's *
Read the 18 key points for
success