History
This gorgeous mansion was built in 1898 for Amasa and Grace Campbell who had made their fortune in mining near Coeur D’Alene, Idaho.
This is when the story gets fuzzy; you see there are 2 different versions as to what happened in the house while the Campbells lived in it. The dark history says the Campbells had 4 children and in 1900 an intruder broke into the house and killed 3 of the children and kidnapped the 4th one who was never seen again. On the other hand, there’s another version that says the Campbells only had one child, Helen, who lived to be an adult.
When Grace Campbell died her daughter, Mrs WW Powell, gave the house to the Eastern Washington Historical Society in memory of her mother.
The house is now considered the largest exhibit in the collection of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. It has been restored to it’s former turn of the century glory.
Paranormal Activity
There is a portrait of Amasa Campbell in the house that is said to follow everyone with it’s eyes. There are other portraits in the house that people swear the eyes move.
The apparitions of children are seen running around in the bedrooms.
Many people feel the house has a dark energy and feel uneasy looking at it even in photos. Many feel uneasy upon entering the house to the point of being overcome by waves of dread.
All Photos Courtesy of Craig M
History
Previous to the founding of this cemetery there were only a few small cemeteries on the edge of what was called Spokane Falls in the Washington Territories. This cemetery was founded in 1888 after a population explosion with people coming to Spokane to seek their fortune in timber or mining.
Bodies and gravestones were moved here from both Mountain View Cemetery and Moran Prairie Cemetery to make way for the expansion of the city.
Greenwood was designed with an eye on Europe’s beautiful garden cemeteries. Its paths follow the contours of the landscape and the cemetery includes a waterfall and spring fed fountains. It was designed as a place for the community to enjoy.
Paranormal Activity
One entrance built to the cemetery is one of 1000 steps – a haunted staircase.
There are many legends about this staircase including: 1) It was original entrance to the cemetery – untrue the existing main entrance of the cemetery has always been so. 2) The stairs lead to a tunnel entrance – also untrue the stairs lead to an old mausoleum which could be confused with a tunnel entrance. 3) The terraced staircase was based on an agreement with the Elks wherein the bodies of their wives and children would be buried on a lower terrace that the men – this may have been true but the wives were unhappy with the agreement and the relationship between the cemetery and the Elks broke down fairly quickly. 4) The staircase is haunted.
Now here is where the stories and accounts of paranormal activity come into play. The urban legend side of the story tells tales of Satanic Rituals – like most urban legends – but the numerous reports seem to say there is more than a legend at work here.
Numerous reports by people of all walks of life tell stories of the faces of men, women and children that are seen by those climbing the staircase. Should you be able to brave the apparitions of the dead higher up you will hear the cries of the dead and feeling something like rain falling on your skin leaving you wet even on the sunniest days.
The 1000 stairs actually number something just over 60. The stairs are now on private property – permission must be gained before using them – and they at best unsafe as there is no longer any maintenance or upkeep on the stairs.
All Photos are Courtesy of Craig M
History
The current bridge – built in 1911 – is the third bridge that has crossed the Spokane River at this point.
The first bridge was made of wood – and rather rickety – was built in 1889. It was closed for a lot of the time of it’s limited existence over arguments around who actually owned it and who really had to right to pass over it. It burned down on July 22, 1890.
The second bridge – made of steel – was opened on June 27, 1892. It wasn’t particularly safe in that it had a noticeable dip in the center and vibrated when someone went over it. In 1905 it deemed unsafe and closed.
The third bridge – the one that still exists – is made of concrete. It is a copy of a bridge in Cleveland; that one being a copy of a bridge in Philadelphia and another further copy of one in Luxembourg in Europe. When it opened, in November of 1911, it was the longest concrete arch bridge in the United States and the third longest in the world.
In 1925 the lamps on the bridge were converted to electricity and in 1934 the tracks for the electric railways were removed. In January of 2003 the bridge was closed for the first time in it’s history in order to be modernized. It opened again in September of 2005.
It is known as a suicide bridge; the 135 foot (41.5 metres) fall into the river generally results in death or catastrophic injury. Between the speed – the bridge is at the bottom of the Spokane Falls – depth (150 feet) and temperature of the river most survivors either drown or die of hypothermia.
As of 2022 there are no actions being taken to prevent suicides here.
Paranormal Activity
Between 2006 and 2018 an average of 2.4 people – not 204 as has been reported on some websites - jumped from the bridge each year. During this same period 9 out of the 13 suicides in Spokane captured on video were at the bridge. The Spokane Police get an average of 20 calls a year concerning possible jumpers on the bridge.
The original ghost of the bridge is a man dressed in obviously out-dated clothing. He is usually seen on the bridge and asks people where all the natives have gone. If approached he will throw himself off the bridge but disappear before hitting the water. He is generally thought to be a construction worker who died building the first bridge.
There were also 2 men over 50 who died building the third bridge who are also thought to haunt the bridge and may be mistaken for the original ghost.
There is also a story of a murdered policeman who was murdered by being drowned after receiving numerous blows to the head. The story says he was drowned in the river below the bridge and haunts the shore to this day. There are a few reports of people seeing his apparition on the rocks below the bridge.
There is also a legend of a priest hanging himself from the bridge – although this cannot be historically collaborated – who haunts the bridge as well.
Shadow figures are seen lurking on the bridge on in the trees and shoreline below the bridge. These are thought to be the ghosts of the numerous suicide victims who ended their lives by jumping.
Below the bridge people have reported hearing disembodied voices and cries, seeing light anomalies and suddenly feeling as if they were no longer alone.
Personal experiences: I did not know the that the bridge was even haunted when I was below it or on it. There is definitely an unearthly energy both below the bridge and in places on it – a strong feeling of something just not of our reality as well that just makes you uncomfortable and chilled. I also felt as if there was something not living watching me below the bridge; again, I was left with a chill and a feeling of not being completely comfortable.