Is Silver Falls Really Haunted?

The History

We are very interested in Silver Falls City, a logging community from 1880s-1920s, located in what is now Silver Falls State Park. According to the OPRD website, the town boasted several general stores, a church, dancehall, hotel, post office, tavern, several sawmills, and a school. During one of the ranger-led hikes, we also learned about the Volz family and their lucrative private campground. Due to over logging and the economic crisis of the 1920s-30s, this once thriving community could no longer sustain itself.  

A government program, the Civilian Conservation Corps, began building much of what you'll see in the park today. If you look closely at the buildings constructed by the CCC, you may even find some hidden gems inside the stone walls such as fossils and heart carvings. 

Historic apple orchard planted by the Volz family in the late 1800s

Finding Their Graves

With all of the history we've learned about this town, one question came to mind. Where was the graveyard? This is not simply a morbid fascination, cemeteries tell many lost stories. Tombstones are a way of looking into the past, sharing memories, emotions, and giving us a better understanding of history.

We have been working with the Friends of Silver Falls to locate the graves of the inhabitants of this city. It is likely the dead were buried on family property throughout what is now the park. This doesn't mean you're going to be stumbling on tombstones on your hike to the waterfalls. The state of Oregon gave inhabitants the option of moving their deceased loved ones after purchasing the property.

There are several cemeteries nearby that are likely the resting place of these individuals. We did find several family names of known inhabitants there, but we are still searching for definite answers. 

Our Investigation

So, is Silver Falls haunted? We did conduct several EVPs in the park. The strongest activity was located at an abandoned bathroom near a picnic area. We also picked up activity on the bike trail and near the CCC building. There seems to be a lot of energy here, which is no surprise because thousands of people visit every year, and it has been inhabited for centuries. 

EVP at the abandoned bathroom

We rated our "paranormal experiences" based on our personal perceptions. Visual activity include: apparitions, shadows, things caught on the cameras, objects moving, etc. Auditory activity include: voices, sounds that can't be explained and sounds recorded on audio. Physical activity include: any presence we feel being in the location or being touched/pushed/etc. Other activity to report would be anything experienced which would not fit into any of the above categories. 

Visual: We have captured a few orbs in photos, but it appears to be the lighting. Therefore, we must record as not active.

Auditory: EVP sessions have picked up activity in several locations. Phyllis, who potentially wore glasses, greeted us at the abandoned bathroom. We have not found any historical information on this individual. 

Physical: Not active.

Other: Not active.

We are still conducting research. Stay tuned to find out more about Silver Falls!