The White Eagle Saloon was built in 1905. At that time, the surrounding neighborhood consisted largely of immigrants, and the area was working-class; indeed, the place was established by two Poles who wanted a place for their fellow immigrants to spend some leisure time.
In those days, streetcars were the mode of public transportation in Portland, and one of the stops was located almost directly in front of the White Eagle (popularly known as "Bucket of Blood", due to the frequent fights occurring there). Things haven't changed much; the White Eagle is now only a block from Portland's MAX line.
In those days, Portland was still involved in the practice of "crimping", or shanghaiing. The city had a network of tunnels running beneath the streets - and more to the point, beneath various drinking establishments. Unlucky male patrons of these watering holes could be knocked out, either physically or by drugs, and awake to find themselves at sea.
The top floor seems to be the epicenter of the hauntings. Sounds of a woman crying have often been heard, and noises of people walking back and forth. During the saloon's "glory" days, the upstairs was a "white" brothel, and the basement was a "black and Chinese" brothel. A young prostitute named Rose had a client who fell in love with her, and begged her to let him take her away from the saloon. Rose was too frightened of the owner (who considered her his "property") to leave, and when the man attempted to persuade the owner to let Rose go, he was beaten terribly. He made one more effort to convince Rose to leave with him. When she refused again, he stabbed her to death. Thus, Rose has never left the premises.
The former owner was offered $200 to allow two men with a video camera to stay overnight in one of the upstairs room. The answer was a flat refusal.
As for the basement, noises have often been heard from it. Coins have fallen from the ceiling. A waitress descending the staircase was shoved violently, falling the rest of the way.
Now? The saloon is owned by the McMenamin brothers (who also own the Edgefield in Troutdale), who, evidently, love to buy haunted properties. The saloon is open for (legal) business, and the bar area has hosted many a famous band. Previous guests warn that this is not a place for light sleepers, since the rooms are directly above the bar. Each room contains a sink, with the bathrooms located down the hall.
Ghosts apart, some potential guests may be interested in this review, from Yelp:
"You'll inevitably run into some of the lodgers in the hall, preferably the way I did when I came out of the shower and faced a man in a coconut bra and pirate hat."
In those days, streetcars were the mode of public transportation in Portland, and one of the stops was located almost directly in front of the White Eagle (popularly known as "Bucket of Blood", due to the frequent fights occurring there). Things haven't changed much; the White Eagle is now only a block from Portland's MAX line.
In those days, Portland was still involved in the practice of "crimping", or shanghaiing. The city had a network of tunnels running beneath the streets - and more to the point, beneath various drinking establishments. Unlucky male patrons of these watering holes could be knocked out, either physically or by drugs, and awake to find themselves at sea.
The top floor seems to be the epicenter of the hauntings. Sounds of a woman crying have often been heard, and noises of people walking back and forth. During the saloon's "glory" days, the upstairs was a "white" brothel, and the basement was a "black and Chinese" brothel. A young prostitute named Rose had a client who fell in love with her, and begged her to let him take her away from the saloon. Rose was too frightened of the owner (who considered her his "property") to leave, and when the man attempted to persuade the owner to let Rose go, he was beaten terribly. He made one more effort to convince Rose to leave with him. When she refused again, he stabbed her to death. Thus, Rose has never left the premises.
The former owner was offered $200 to allow two men with a video camera to stay overnight in one of the upstairs room. The answer was a flat refusal.
As for the basement, noises have often been heard from it. Coins have fallen from the ceiling. A waitress descending the staircase was shoved violently, falling the rest of the way.
Now? The saloon is owned by the McMenamin brothers (who also own the Edgefield in Troutdale), who, evidently, love to buy haunted properties. The saloon is open for (legal) business, and the bar area has hosted many a famous band. Previous guests warn that this is not a place for light sleepers, since the rooms are directly above the bar. Each room contains a sink, with the bathrooms located down the hall.
Ghosts apart, some potential guests may be interested in this review, from Yelp:
"You'll inevitably run into some of the lodgers in the hall, preferably the way I did when I came out of the shower and faced a man in a coconut bra and pirate hat."
No comments:
Post a Comment