Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor
Haunted houses begin to pop up once October rolls around, just in time for Halloween. However, there are locations near Monmouth that stayed haunted year-round.
Western’s own Todd Hall is said to be haunted. The legend at Western says it’s haunted by the former Dean of Women and Dean of Dormitories and the namesake of the building, Jessica Todd. According to current and former students, she doesn’t like males being in the building since it used to be a strictly female residence hall.
People have reported hearing footsteps in the hallway and see the lights flicker on and off. Objects such as paper are supposedly moved when no one has touched them.
Todd is also said to move locations to the Cottage, which was where she lived while working on campus according to the Hamersly Library Instagram. Supposedly, she moves there to scare people who have stayed out past dark.
Travel to Salem and visit the Elsinore Theater at 170 High Street SE, where visitors are said to feel an eerie presence when entering the building. It’s considered a historic 1930s landmark, and is a popular location for many modern theater productions.
According to traveloregon.com, there’s a girl in a white dress that is frequently spotted on the upper balcony. She’s said to be the original owner’s daughter, and fell from the balcony where she’s seen. A ‘ghost light’ stays lit on the stage, and workers and visitors have said they see shadows when no one is walking across.
The Bush House Museum is another location in Salem that’s reportedly haunted by Eugenia, the daughter of Asahel Bush II, the one who built the mansion. According to hauntedrooms.com, she’s said to be keeping watch of the building, where her apparition is seen often. Visitors have reportedly said a disembodied female voice can be heard throughout the house.
Salem Ghost Tours offers official history walkthroughs of locations that are considered haunted throughout the year which take place on Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for youth aged 7–17. More information and bookings can be found at their website salemghosttours.net.
Independence hosts a Ghost Walk each year on Oct 5, which tours haunted spots such as the Pink House. Dallas has recently begun the History and Mystery tours of buildings that hold chilling stories throughout the town. It costs $25 a person and takes place Oct 1–Nov 1. Monmouth also hosted their first History and Mystery night this year where they talked about the ghosts of the town.
NW Ghost Tours hosts a Walk with Spirits tour that takes place in Oregon City from June–December every year, and can be found at their website www.nwghosttours.com.
Contact the author at rhorrall17@mail.wou.edu
