Pat Jollota has never seen a ghost. She sincerely believes in sincere believers, but that’s about as far as she goes.
And yet, there are ghostly tales that never seem to die. True story: On Oct. 17, 1920, the outgoing mayor of Vancouver went for a walk on that newfangled bridge connecting us to Portland, and was never seen again.
Or was he? Mayor Grover Percival’s body was eventually found hanging from a tree on Hayden Island, and the death was ruled a suicide. But if the man was despondent, nobody knew it. He was financially secure and apparently healthy; as a city councilor he’d supported the successful bridge project; as mayor he served one term, decided that was enough, and was close friends with his successor, John P. Kiggins. He was reportedly looking forward to returning to the insurance business.
“He was seen in a good mood on the day he vanished,” said Jollota, who researched the facts.
If You Go
• What: Downtown Vancouver Haunted Walking Tours.
• When: 8 p.m. Oct. 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27 and 30-31.
• Where: Meet at Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St., Vancouver.
• Price: $18; $15 for museum members.
• Information, tickets: 360-993-5679; cchmuseum.org
Why, then, has “a tall, slender man wearing an overcoat and dark felt hat” been seen walking the northbound sidewalk on the bridge? And why does he always vanish before he reaches the bridge’s hump and the descent from Portland into Vancouver?
The ghostly sightings, and unanswered questions, are drawn from Jollota’s creepy compendium of Clark County horror stories, a book called “Darkness Next Door.” That is the primary source for the Clark County Historical Museum’s annual downtown Vancouver haunted walking tours, which aim to make you shiver — and teach you something about local history — every weekend in October.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings starting Oct. 4 and ending Oct. 27 — plus the final Tuesday and Wednesday of the month, Oct. 30 and 31 — the museum’s historical experts will lead guided tours of downtown’s darkest corners and scariest sites.
Vancouver has suffered its share of tragedies and mysteries across the years: murders and abductions; suicides, drownings and disappearances; unexplained sounds and visions — like footsteps in the Slocum House and the Providence Academy, and spectres spotted in the aisle of the Kiggins Theatre and along Officers Row.
People love scary stuff, especially in autumn, and these seasonal tours — which blend hard historical research, tall tales, personal anecdotes and plenty of gloomy atmosphere — always prove extremely popular, so you are encouraged to buy your tickets now. There’s room for 25 people on each tour. All tours are set for 8 p.m., beginning at the museum, 1511 Main St., and lasting for up to 75 minutes while visiting 10 to 15 historic sites. Expect to walk about a mile in the dark, no matter the weather, so bring appropriate clothing and a flashlight. (Try not to spend the whole tour shining it up into your face from below for extra ghoulishness.)
All are welcome but, given the subject matter, these tours are recommended for those age 10 or older. Everyone age 6 or older must purchase a ticket. Tickets are already on sale and a couple of tours have sold out, but there are waiting lists — just in case anybody mysteriously vanishes.
