Ghost Hunting on Oregon’s Coast
by: Andre’ Hagestedt

The winds cut deeper and make progressively louder noises as the days shorten. Fog creeps in from the sea more often. And then Halloween shows up, as if to really remind us about things otherworldly. It’s no wonder Oregon’s northern coast has a load of ghostly tales swirling about. It’s no wonder the remake of “The Fog” currently in release is set in a fictional North Oregon Coast town. From flying pots and specters who’ve moved from one building to another in Seaside, the ghostly legends of a hotel in the Nehalem Bay, to the myriad of hauntings in ancient Astoria - there’s plenty for the ghost-hunting tourist in this pristine and stunning area.

SLEEPLESS IN SEASIDE

Tales of things creepy abound in Seaside - but they’re hard to find. It’s almost as if they’ve been swept under the carpet.

For almost 100 years, the old Hotel Seaside (later named The Seasider) was a grandiose, beautiful building that was a sort of centerpiece to Seaside, at the Turnaround. So it’s no surprise that place acquired tales of apparitions and otherworldly guests over the years. There were numerous spirits that purportedly haunted it.

These days, the Shilo Inn sits in that spot. But when the old hotel was torn down, the spooks moved to Girtle’s Restaurant, just down the street on Broadway, according to owner Bob Girtle. He recounted numerous stories of otherworldly happenings in the restaurant, having seen them himself or coming from various employees who tell their own tales. They talk of seeing the mysterious shadows of feet walking behind the door of a closed-off area of the kitchen, visible from the small space between the floor and the door. This happens when it’s not possible anyone else is in there, say Bob and his crew. They don’t even check that room anymore when they see the shadows.

Then there is the notorious flying coffee pot in the galley area between the kitchen and the main dining room. Bob and others on his staff have experienced this more than once. Sometimes it moves a bit, others it literally flies across the hallway.

Bob said he inherited some employees of the old Seasider back in the 80’s, and at least one said they saw some of the same ghosts.

John Sowa, owner of the New Orleans-style eatery Lil’ Bayou, also related tales of moving objects in the kitchen and a strange sense of someone being near him while alone in his office. Kitchen utensils are found in different places than employees have left them, or an object suddenly falls off a hook or a shelf.

Lil’ Bayou lies in the historic Gilbert District of Seaside, which is filled with old buildings, almost all with upstairs areas that are often unused. The charming, atmospheric area has gone through a rebirth in recent years, and often there are whispers of ghosts coinciding with many of the renewed buildings.

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Over the years there have been many Jersey Devil stories and sightings. The name Leeds is in all the stories. The time period is about the same and the area is about the same. There have been documented sightings since about 1735. More recently it was sighted in 1951 in Gibbstown and in 1960 near Mays Landing. In more recent years, the Jersey Devil is seen haunting the cemeteries, coastal wetlands and churchyards of Howell Township. Appearances of the Jersey Devil are often accompanied by the disappearance of local pets.

Leeds Point - The Jersey Devil - Around 1735 Mrs. Shrouds was heard to have said that if she were to have another child she wanted it to be a DEVIL. She got pregnant and the baby was born very deformed. She hid the baby from everyone until one stormy night when it stretched it’s arms out and they turned into bat like wings. It crawled up the chimney and flew off into the night.

Estelville - The Jersey Devil - In 1735, Mrs. Abigale Leeds was about to give birth to her 13th child. She was in so much pain she screamed for the DEVIL to take the child. She got her wish as it was born a very deformed creature. It had the head of a horse, with horns, wings like a bat and a serpentine body with a pointed tail. It came back to visit her everyday until she stood outside and told it to leave and never come back.

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