PNWPC Witch’s Castle Investigation

The long awaited investigation of the Witch’s Castle of Portland Oregon including Supernatural Investigations Unit and Sinister Coffee and Creamery, happened on the cold Wednesday before Halloween in October 2020. This was a second investigation for SIU, but a first for Sinister Coffee and Creamery. As we walked lower Macleay trail, a portion of Forest Park that takes you to the Witch’s Castle and ultimately to the Pittock Mansion, we turned our head lamps on as the already limited visibility drew to a close. Walking in the dark for about half an hour landed us at the foot of the Witch’s Castle where the silhouette of the remaining structure appeared before us. Rem Pods, digital recorders and an Echo Vox on the ready, the PNWPC began it’s investigation.

How It All Began

A brief history of the Witch’s Castle goes as follows: Described as a Romeo and Juliet style tragedy, the love story between Mortimer Stump and Anna Balch ended in a bewitching murder. Mortimer Stump was hired by the head of the house and owner of the homestead, Danford Balch, for help building and maintaining the homestead. Anna Balch, then 15 years old, was forbidden by her father to be with Stump and even threatened Stump’s life if anything was pursued. Anna Balch and Mortimer Stump fled to Vancouver, Washington (Stumps home town) to elope. Upon their return, Balch found and killed Stump. Mortimer was shot in the face with a double barrel shot gun by Danford while riding the Stark Street Ferry, leaving Anna a widow. Danford Balch, a frequenter of Portland’s saloons, claimed his wife had "bewitched" him to kill Stump. However, much speculation remains around the reason Balch would react this way over one of his eight children getting married. Historian Diane Goeres-Gardner states, “The description he gave of his emotional, physical and psychological state sounded more like a man describing the loss of a lover than a daughter,” excerpt taken from her book Necktie Parties. Balch was captured and hung in what would be Portland Oregon's first legal hanging for crimes committed in October of 1859.

The Area Known As The Witch’s Castle

While the Witch’s Castle is not the original structure at the homestead, it is on the original land, giving it the energy and allure that a haunted location may possess. The structure was built as a ranger’s station and bathroom for hikers. The stone house was destroyed in the 1962 Columbus Day Storm that ravaged through Portland. After it was decommissioned, it sat unused until the 80’s when it became a local hangout for teens. It was then that it received its name “The Witch‘s Castle.”

The Investigation

Upon starting our investigation, dowsing rods lead us to the spots in and around the Witch’s Castle to investigate. Although there were some interesting lines of inquiry around the witch connection, there appeared to be a potentially stronger spiritual presence from the nearby Pittock Mansion. A trip to the top of the Witch’s Castle left us with lasting impressions of the place. Beginning to end, we left with spin tingling responses and a desire for a continuation of the dialogue that was started. Watch SIU’s release of the The Witches Castle part two, link at the bottom of the page, to draw your own conclusions!

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*We do not recommend any kind of investigation without proper safety measures. We also do not recommend instigating entities for fun or entertainment. We take our investigations very seriously and offer many follow ups to ensure we have left the places in better shape then we found it.