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Location:
Southern outskirts of Oregon City.
Street Address: 713 Center Street,
Oregon City, Oregon 97045.
Web-Site: McloughlinHouse.org
Description:
McLoughlin House & the Barclay
House
Both houses are part of a National
Historic Site and Museum, and are next store to each other in an Oregon
City park, on top of a big hill. Both houses share ghosts, that go back
and forth between houses.
Photo from McloughlinHouse.org
McLoughlin House - This large, two
story white mansion, was built in 1845, by Dr. John McLoughlin, a Canadian
physician turned CEO of The Hudson Bay Company. The good doctor was a
driving force in the industrial development of the Willamette Valley.
He founded the town of Oregon City in 1842. Dr. John was a caring and
very generous man, serving as the town's doctor, mayor and investor. He
often hosted travelers going through town in his own mansion. After he
retired, he stopped seeing regular patients, but he still took charity
cases. This man was 6 feet, 5 inches tall, and was married to a half Cree,
half Swiss woman, Marguerite. He suffered a set back when the U.S. Congress
took way his holdings because he was still a Canadian citizen, which made
him bitter and somewhat broken in spirit.
When he died Sept. 3rd, 1857, his
daughter sold the mansion, and it became an elegant hotel. Later it was
bought by the owner of a woolen mill, and was used to house Chinese workers,
until 1886, when all Chinese were run out of town. A Brothel then moved
into this grand place. Finally it became an apartment, which eventually
was abandoned to the vagrants. The mansion was saved in 1909, and moved
to its present location, to be a museum. It is the oldest museum in Oregon.
History of Manifestations: At the original location, Mr. & Mrs. McLoughlin
were buried next to the mansion. In the 1970's, their bodies were moved
and buried again between the two mansions, at it,s new location. The ghostly
hauntings started after their graves were transferred.
Reported Manifestations: McLoughlin
House
Quite a houseful of spirits are present,
with three who like to visit from next door from the Barclay House. As
the McLoughlins were hospitable while living, why wouldn't they be now??
1) Dr. John McLoughlin -
A) One staff person, as she entered
the front door, heard someone vacuuming upstairs, as she saw a tall
shadow come down the stairs, making heavy footsteps as it came. It swept
around the corner, from the bottom of the staircase, into the dining
room, where pleasant harpsichord music was playing. The shadow had to
duck to enter the dining room.
B) A psychic spotted Dr. John sitting
on the bed in his room. Various people have seen his bedroom rocking
chair moving all by itself, like someone was using it. People have seen
a tall shadow going up the staircase, traveling down the hall, and bending
a little to get in the Doctor's room, hearing the corresponding footsteps
as well.
C) A good-sized, gold framed oil
painting of Dr. John hangs on the wall above the downstairs fireplace.
Once a year, on the morning of Sept. 3rd, when the sun hits the gold
frame, the oval part of the Face of Dr. John glows eerily. This has
happened for years.
2) Marguerite McLoughlin -
A) A woman apparition has been spotted
by many people looking out the southeast 2nd floor window. Marguerite
smoked pipe tobacco. While working in an upstairs bedroom, a staff person
suddenly smelled pipe tobacco. As she went about her business, the smell
followed her around as she worked. She theorized that Marguerite was
following her around, making sure she did a good job, or perhaps just
wanted to watch.
B) While cleaning up a mess with
a vacuum cleaner in an upstairs bedroom, someone tapped her on the shoulder
three times. Thinking it was the other woman staff member, she turned
around to see what was wanted, but no one was there!
3) Other ghosts Hanging Around -
A) In the parlor, a murder was committed,
probably during either the brothel or vagrant era, but it is also the
place where Dr. John died. A psychic found it hard to enter the parlor,
breaking into a cold sweat. The time he was able to get in the parlor,
he was in constant motion, feeling something really uncomfortable, and
foreboding.
B) Some Indian people came in for
a tour, but had to stop abruptly a few feet into the mansion, feeling
like they had been hit with something real unpleasant. A crystal, that
decorated the candlestick, started to dance by itself. When they went
upstairs, one of the men felt his throat closing in, like someone was
trying to choke him, and found that he was being drawn toward the banister.
They left quickly.
C) A lady apparition dressed in
a beautiful period gown was seen going up the steps by several visitors.
D) A group of Chinese apparitions
were seen by a psychic, huddled in terror in one of the rooms, that
is now set up like an office.
E) A protective spirit of an Indian
servant of the McLoughlins has been sensed by a psychic. Perhaps the
smell of coffee is attached to him.
F) In the small room that was Dr.
McLoughlin,s doctor office, psychic people pick up a very "disturbing
aura," that encourages a fast exit. One psychic sensed that someone
had died there, after an amputation.
G) Other unexplained occurrences
such as disappearing, reappearing money from the cash register, knocking
on the walls have befuddled the living.
H) One staff member lost a special
button off her dress up in one of the bedrooms. Later, she saw it rolling
toward her downstairs, much to her surprise.
I) Also, the part -time bookkeeper
had to do his work outside, because his adding machine wouldn't work
inside.
J) Displays that are out of reach
of visitors, have been rearranged, after being seen in their correct
display position. The china tea set is a favorite of some unseen entity.
Photo from McloughlinHouse.org/barclay.html
The Barclay House - It was built by
Dr. Forbes Barclay in 1849, in Oregon City.
Reported Manifestations:
Psychics have sensed/ seen the presence
of : Dr. Barclay himself, a woman, Dr. Barclay's brother, known as Uncle
Sandy, and a red-haired little boy and his dog. It is theorized that the
little boy died at the Barclay's house.
GHOSTS SEEN IN BOTH HOUSES: ( Red-haired
boy, his dog, and a woman ghost )
A) The most frequent visitors to The
McLoughlin Mansion seem to be the little red-headed boy, perhaps 6-8
years old, and his dog, that leaves muddy dog foot prints in both of
the mansions. The little boy looks real and alive, and is full of mischief.
He likes to take things and hide them. He once took a pair of clippers,
and hid them in a box of books upstairs.
B) He has been seen clearly by others.
One family was taking a tour of the upstairs, when one of their boys
saw a red-headed boy playing around downstairs by himself. When he pointed
the kid out to the staff guide, the boy disappeared.
C) The police were called when a
little red-headed boy was seen inside the locked mansion. When they
went in to investigate, the boy was gone.
D) The woman sensed / seen in the
Barclay House is thought to come visit the McLoughlin Mansion. It is
thought it might be her that was spotted climbing the steps in a beautiful
gown, like a lady.
E) In the office off the dining
room, muddy dog foot prints were found all over the room, on several
occasions. There was a friendly live dog that would come visit with
its owner, but the dog would not enter that office room; just stand
there and bark.
Still Haunted?
Yes.
Both houses are still haunted.
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