Shanghai Tunnel Ghost Tours
Just in time for the Halloween Season

The "Shanghaiing Trade" began in Portland in 1850 and steadily grew to make the "City of Roses" the most infamous port in the world by 1870. This shocking abuse where men were kidnapped, taken through secret tunnels that ran beneath the city, and then sold to sea captains where they were forced to work for free the remainder of the voyage, was a notoriety that this seemingly quaint Victorian Village along the Willamette River would never be able to forget, even to this very day. Unfortunately, this practice continued until 1941, when World War II began.

For the 91 years that "Shanghaiing" existed in Portland, reports of "ghosts" or "forlorn spirits" surfaced from the "Portland Underground". Some believe that these are "lost souls" who died during the course of being "Shanghaied", either being knocked on the head too hard, given too heavy of a dose of "knock-out" drops, or suffocated to death in the small holding cells where the victims were held before being taken through the tunnels.
 
Today, these unique tales and folklore have continued to linger into the Twenty-first Century, with new stories of hauntings being reported regularly. And, always, the focal point is the "Shanghai Tunnels". 

Contac us for tour information.

According to Michael P. Jones of the Cascade Geographic Society who leads the tours, the stories and incidents told date back to both the Victorian times as well as those that pertain to more recent sightings and unexplained accounts of hauntings. As a historian, he said that he doesn't believe in what people commonly refer to ghosts, but he does believe in oral history.

"I am constantly amazed that what may be considered folklore, is actually fact," explained Jones. "This has been proven to me repeatedly, through the years, over and over again. So, I do believe in oral history." "As for the ghosts? All I can say is that some things have happened that cannot be explained. And, if you talk to the people who have experienced these incidents, they really believe what they have seen or heard."

Jones explained that these tours are actually being offered from early Autumn through Halloween. And, if there is a demand beyond this time, the "Shanghai Tunnel Ghost Tour" will be continued into November and beyond if there is an interest. However, regular tours of the "Portland Underground" will be held regularly, consisting of just the regular history of the "Shanghai Tunnels".

Individuals and groups wanting to do something different this Halloween Season, and who are interested in participating in a very unique tour, need to get in touch with the Cascade Geographic Society.