| Address |
| Marine Dr, Astoria, OR 97103, USA (Astoria, Oregon)
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| Information |
The Building
This museum in Astoria, Oregon celebrates the county's firefighting past, but is also gaining a reputation in the paranormal community for its resident ghost. The building was originally built in 1896, based on designs by architect Emil Schacht, to serve the North Pacific Brewery. Prohibition ultimately shut down the brewery, but the building was renovated and resurrected in 1928 by the city of Astoria to serve as the Uppertown Fire Station #2. At the time, the bottom level served to store their fire trucks and equipment, the second floor served as dormitories for the firefighters, and the third floor was converted into a gymnasium. The facility was later used solely for storage after it was decommissioned in 1960, but found new life in 1989 when the city donated the building to the Clatsop County Historical Society, who re-opened the building as the Uppertown Firefighter's Museum.
The Uppertown Firefighter's Museum
The building now serves as a museum to Clatsop County's firefighting past. Displays include a look at the devastating fires that wiped out a good majority of Astoria in 1883 and 1922, as well as firefighting equipment that dates back as far as 1877. The equipment includes various fire wagons and trucks, tools, and some of the scarred remains left over from the 1922 fire. In 1995, the second floor of the museum was converted into the Astoria's Children Museum, which offers children to dress up and play in children-sized replicas of the area's Fort Clatsop (established nearby by Lewis and Clark). It also offers a wide variety of activities and games.
The Resident Ghost
The reports of paranormal activity began during its time as a fire station. Firefighters that lived in the facility began to report strange occurrences on the second floor like being awoken to find someone standing over their bed that quickly vanished or hearing the lockers rattling in the room over from their beds. However, most reports were the sounds of something moving furniture around or walking across the third floor. When the men would go to investigate, they would find the building empty except for them. The strange activity reportedly shook enough of the men that they all pitched 10 dollars into a pool for anyone brave enough to spend the night on the third floor. By all accounts, no one ever collected.
As for the identity of the resident spook, most default to the story of a firefighter who made the mistake of sleepwalking and fell to his death through hole in the floor where the fire pole stands. While the story sounds rather unbelievable, there are actually some facts to back it up... sort of. In 1928, a firefighter by the name of Paul Marion fell to his death in this exact manner. However, Marion's death actually occurred at a fire station nearby that has since been torn down. Some theorize that Marion simply moved on to the nearest fire station following his death and ended up at Uppertown Fire Station #2.
The Museum Today
The building continues to house the Uppertown Firefighter's Museum and Astoria Children's Museum to this day. Meanwhile, there are still reports of strange sounds and footsteps coming from the third floor. The third floor is now a storage area and is closed off to the general public. However, that should do nothing to dissuade those interested in visiting. While there have been plenty of strange noises coming from the third floor, no one has ever reported seeing anything when they go to investigate.
The dates and hours of the building vary based on the season, so it is advised to check with the Clatsop County Historical Society before visiting. For more information, please visit the site below.
I would like to offer a special thanks to local historian John Goodenberger and Mac Burns of the Clatsop County Historical Society for their assistance in this article. |
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| Related Sites |
Clatsop County Historical Society
The official Web site of the Clatsop County Historical Society who maintain the reportedly haunted Uppertown Firefighter's Museum and Flavel House Museum in Astoria, Oregon. |
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| Similar Destinations |
| Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum |
| International UFO Museum and Research Center |
| Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| There are no other pages on this site associated with this location. |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Ghost Stories of Oregon |
Ghost Stories from the Pacific Northwest (American Storytelling) |
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