(written February 18, 2018)
*Author’s Note: The
photographs in this blog entry are all my own (unless otherwise captioned
under). I respect that it may be easy to save them and print them on your own.
But they are copyrighted and use of them is prohibited without my knowledge and
consent. If you wish to use them, please send me an e-mail and we can discuss
their use or purchase. Thanks for your cooperation.
MoonNStarMommy@gmail.com
~ Nissa Rae
PORT GAMBLE
In 1853, on Gamble Bay, William Talot and Andrew Pope founded the sawmill that remained in operation until December 1995. In the United States it has been the longest continually operating mill.
The mill processed enormous trees, sawing lumber that would be shipped down to San Francisco market. In 1853 there were very few settlers living on the Puget Sound. They decided to build that town on the bluffs above the mill for easy transport and access. Steepled churches and gabled clapboard houses with steep roofs and picket fences that closely resembling the New England or Midwest Villages were built. Change came slow to Port Gamble since it was a company town.
Smart business choices kept Pope & Talbot the leader in lumbering and shipping, even through the severe weather and economic hardships, including the Great Depression. They would end up shipping lumber to Hawaii, Peru, England, and Australia, among other places.
They made a difficult choice to close down the mill in 1995. They wanted to restore the town to it's former glory and has a management group maintaining the properties. It is a quaint little town, beautiful and charming. There is an adorable church great for weddings! There is a reception area near the water, just a few blocks from the church. The homes are filled with shops and stores, a theater, and various other things. It is very much worth a visit.
Side Note Fact: Pope & Talbot opened in Eau Claire, WI in (abt) 1882. Eau Claire, WI is my home town, where I grew up and even had my babies. All four of my boys were baptized at the same church I had been baptized at. At this time, I actually had zero clue of the Pope & Talbot connection to Port Gamble. I didn't find out until 2012 (two years after visiting on this trip) when my Bestie Lisa, my Niece Ivy, Noah, Nathan & Kaedyn and I wandered into the museum below the General Store ... Pope & Talbot in Eau Claire was (is?) a paper factory making toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and other paper items.
>>>>>Visit the
PORT GAMBLE WEBSITE<<<<<
Some haunting information below!
Here are some photos taken that day back in October 5, 2010
The Walker-Ames House.... On this day, when I was by the house... I got this crazy feeling I was being watched by someone in one of the upper (attic) windows. I said something to DB about it, how I felt like there was a woman and a little boy up there watching us. Later when we managed to go into the Daniel B. Jackson House (the Wedding & Events Planners) .. my friend asked if the house was haunted, and they told her ... yes, it is. It's VERY haunted. Now we've discovered it is one of the most haunted houses in the state. But I am having such a hard time finding the information on the stories or legends behind the hauntings. ....
On the other side of the Walker-Ames house is the General Store. I apparently didn't get pictures of it this day, but a nice note to know if you ever go to visit is that there is a bit of a "museum" upstairs. There are large displays of shells and other fun stuff up there. Definitely worth a look!
I didn't get a picture of the tree :( But I do have pictures from other visits ....
One of the various wedding spaces
The Cemetery ...
Masonic Lodge. My Great Grandparents were Freemasons.
So events that go on in Port Gamble...
Bringing out the Halloween ....
Beautiful St. Paul's Church...
So it is said that the entire town of Port Gamble is haunted....
Below exert comes from
HERE....
Many of the community members who helped build Port Gamble are still there today in spirit and continue to make their presences known to the modern-day residents and visitors. From the woman who greets people from her third-floor window at the Walker-Ames House, to the stage manager who overlooks many of the activities that needed to be done at the community hall and theatre—many souls of the past are still here.
James A. Thompson still occupies the Thompson House. He was a sawyer from Maine who built the first part of the house in 1859. Evergreen Paranormal’s sensitive, Maureen Nelson, received a clear impression of James upstairs during our group’s preliminary walk-through of the house. Nelson was taken back one evening when she saw a photo of Mr. Thompson months after first encountering him—it was the same man she saw in her impression.
Other public buildings in town also have experienced supernatural phenomena, such as the general store, where under the store a male’s voice was recorded, though no one (living) was around who could have spoken the words. Events such as these remind people who work there and visit that although the years continue on, these ghosts remain.
Evergreen Paranormal was able to document some interesting EVP on audio tape as well as some on digital video. There are several video segments of orb movement, and one interesting account of Maureen Nelson sensing the presence of a woman in one of the buildings in town. Then, within seconds of recording, some paranormal mist moved from left to right on video. In the basement of this same building, Nelson asked if there was anyone in the building who wished to speak to us, and several seconds later, a male voice said, “Yes.” There were no men in the building during that time. The group did find that moon phases seemed to play a part on the level of haunting activity— seemingly, such activity doesn’t happen during new moons.
Lots of good information there.
The town offers GHOST WALKS where you get a chance to investigate various locations including the Walker-Ames House. They also do a Ghost Conference every year now, which would be really interesting to go to.
WALKER-AMES HOUSE
I have found it really difficult to not only find out who is supposedly haunting the house, but also an claims in the house. I have read in several places that the house does not disappoint during the Ghost Walks they offer in the town.
* There is a story of a spirit that lives there that does not like women.
* A mentally ill little boy that was possibly locked in the basement because the family didn't know how to care for him.
* (To my surprise) There are stories of people seeing a woman and little boy staring out the windows, watching people.
Mrs. Muir's House of Ghosts & Magic Shop (The Daniel B. Jackson House)
* There is a Ghost CAT named Harlequin that is curious and playful and usually appears to kids.
The General Store
* EVP's have been caught of a man speaking.
Thompson House
* It is said that James A. Thompson still lingers in his house. A psychic with a paranormal group sensed him and several months later saw a picture of him and was shocked because she recognized him as that man she had senses and seen.
I know that there are other claims of hauntings but that's about all I could find.
We love and ALWAYS enjoy coming here!
THIS IS SOMETHING WE WOULD RECOMMEND AND WE WOULD DEFINITELY GO HERE AGAIN (and we do).
