The Puget Sound region is known for its idyllic scenery―and for harboring the paranormal. From the spirits of frontiersmen to specters of soldiers and sailors, chilling tales abound. Ghostly apparitions are said to endlessly travel the Oregon Trail, and the doomed 17-man crew of the Andelana who drowned in Tacoma’s Commencement Bay have been spotted still sailing. In Olympia, a ghostly boy wanders the Governor’s Mansion, and the spirit of The Tacoma Hotel mascot Jack, an 800-pound brown bear, haunts the streets nearby. Author and historian Ira Wesley Kitmacher reveals the fascinating history of Puget Sound’s resident spirits.
Ira Kitmacher is the author of Haunted Graveyards of the Pacific, Spirits Along the Columbia River, Haunted Puget Sound, Pacific Northwest Legends and Lore, and more. He is a frequent public speaker and leads tours based on his books. Ira is a commissioner for the Thurston County Historic Commission.