Weird Washington

ABB Podcast Studios
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Weird Washington explores the strange, dark, mysterious, and downright bizarre stories hiding throughout Washington State and the Pacific Northwest. From haunted places and unexplained events to cryptids, local legends, forgotten history, and stories that sound too strange to be true, we dig into the people, places, and mysteries that make this corner of the country unlike anywhere else. Some stories are history. Some are legend. Some remain unexplained. *Shop Official Weird Washington Merch* https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com/ NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEK!

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    A Night Inside the Castle

    Manresa Castle sits perched on a hill in Port Townsend, Washington, where a grand Victorian mansion became a Jesuit training house and later, an inn with a haunted reputation. In this episode, we explore the castle’s history and the eerie accounts associated with its halls. From mysterious footsteps to the legends surrounding rooms 302 and 306, we look at the stories guests tell and the historical evidence behind them. Join us as we separate documented history from local folklore and discover why Manresa Castle continues to capture the imagination of visitors. Check out the Official Weird Washington Store! Use promo code WEIRD10 for 10% off your entire purchase. Have a topic idea? Email weirdwashingtonpodcast@gmail.com. Find WW on Instagram @weirdwashingtonpodcast. References City of Port Townsend. “Welcome tothe City of Port Townsend.” S’Klallam village name and community context.https://ptpubliclibrary.org/administration/page/welcome-city-port-townsend John Caldbick for HistoryLink. “PortTownsend Thumbnail History” (2014). Settlement, customs port, railroad hopes,and economic decline.https://historylink.org/File/10752 Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. “Historyand Culture.” Tribal history, treaty consequences, persistence, and landpurchases.https://pgst.nsn.us/history-culture/ University of Washington PacificCoast Architecture Database. “Eisenbeis Charles and Katherine House.” House,materials, residents, and institutional chronology.https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/8108/ Manresa Castle Hotel. “About ManresaCastle.” Property history and later uses. For chronology, compare archival andarchitectural records.https://www.manresacastle.com/about-castle Haunted Rooms. “Manresa Castle PortTownsend Washington.” Source for circulating legends and reported disturbances,not proof of deaths or paranormal causes.https://www.hauntedrooms.com/washington/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/manresa-castle Daniel DeMay for SeattlePI. “HistoricPort Townsend: A haunting view to the seaport’s past” (2017; updated 2018).Attributed family account concerning a housekeeper and keys in room 306.https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattle-history/article/Historic-Port-Townsend-Puget-Sound-haunted-ghost-10936187.php Jefferson County Historical Societyvia National Park Service. National Register nomination, Manresa Hall (1969).Physical description, original purpose, and preparation date. Primarypreservation record; its 1925 Jesuit acquisition date differs from the 1927operating chronology in other sources.https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/f5fe7ffa-a660-4b70-bcac-336a5ef73c9a Jefferson County Historical Society.“City of Dreams” guide working draft (2019), PDF pages 60–61. Discusses thecastles and credits Whiteway. PDF page 31 gives different initials in a broaderarchitectural discussion; this script uses the surname only.https://www.jchsmuseum.com/Resources/WorkingDraft_CityofDreams-9-28-19.pdf Julie Carr for Haunted Houses.“Manresa Castle.” English Kate variants, attic legend, and room accounts. Usedfor haunting narratives only.https://hauntedhouses.com/washington/manresa-castle/

    A Night Inside the Castle

  2. Oct 21

    No Rest for the Wicked

    Washington’s old cemeteries hold more than the names of those buried there. At Black Diamond, visitors report phantom lanterns and whistling among the graves. In Bellingham’s Bayview Cemetery, a stone angel supposedly watches the living, while a monument known as the Death Bed carries a chilling curse. And in Spokane, the legend of the Thousand Steps warns that something may stop you from reaching the top. In this episode of Weird Washington, we explore the tragic history and unsettling legends of three Washington cemeteries—from coal mine disasters to stories of restless spirits that still linger among the headstones. Shop the NEW Weird Washington Hoodie! https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com/ References Black Diamond Historical Society & Museum — Black Diamond Cemetery. Historical overview of the cemetery, its founding in 1884, its immigrant community, and the miners and children buried there. https://www.blackdiamondmuseum.org/visit-us/towns-landmarks/black-diamond-cemetery/ Black Diamond Historical Society & Museum — Franklin. History of the nearby coal mining town, the 1894 mine fire that killed thirty-seven miners, and the community’s eventual abandonment. https://www.blackdiamondmuseum.org/visit-us/towns-landmarks/franklin/ HistoryLink — Coal mine fire at Franklin kills 37 miners on August 24, 1894. Historical account of the Franklin mining disaster, including contemporary reporting and the coroner’s findings. https://historylink.org/File/2220 Kirkland Reporter — Washington’s most haunted: Ghost hunters head to Black Diamond Cemetery. Reporting on Cascadia Paranormal Investigators’ visit to the cemetery and their examination of its ghost stories and possible ordinary explanations. https://www.kirklandreporter.com/2020/10/30/washingtons-most-haunted-ghost-hunters-head-to-black-diamond-cemetery/ City of Bellingham — About Bayview Cemetery. Official history of the cemetery’s establishment, expansion, landscape, and connections to Bellingham’s early families. https://cob.org/services/housing/bayview/about-bayview Whatcom Genealogical Society / Whatcom County WA GenWeb — Whatcom County Cemeteries. Compiled cemetery histories and burial research, including information about Deadman’s Point, relocated remains, and Bayview Cemetery. https://wagenweb.org/whatcom/cem.htm Haunted Places — Bayview Cemetery. Collection of local ghost stories and visitor accounts associated with Angel Eyes, the Death Bed, and other reported paranormal experiences. https://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/bayview-cemetery-2/ B.U.M.P.S. — Myths and Legends. Local paranormal group’s accounts of investigating Bayview Cemetery, including the Death Bed legend and claimed unexplained audio recordings. https://bumpsparanormal.weebly.com/mythslegends.html Puzzle Box Horror — Bayview Cemetery, Bellingham WA. Overview of the cemetery’s supernatural folklore, including stories surrounding Angel Eyes and the Death Bed monument. https://puzzleboxhorror.com/encyclopedia-of-supernatural-horror/bayview-cemetery-bellingham-wa/ KHQ — SPOKANE SPOOKS: Can you climb the 1,000 Steps of Greenwood Cemetery? Local reporting featuring historian Chet Caskey on the staircase’s history, its connection to the Elks lodge, and the ghost stories surrounding it. https://www.khq.com/news/spokane-spooks-can-you-climb-the-1-000-steps-of-greenwood-cemetery/article_7e62f00c-f064-11e9-9fbc-ab81ed4a29e3.html Atlas Obscura — Greenwood Cemetery. Overview of the Thousand Steps legend, including reported apparitions, unexplained cries, and sensations of rain beneath a clear sky. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/greenwood-cemetery

    No Rest for the Wicked

  3. Oct 14

    Washington's Witching Hour

    Witchcraft has a fascinating and mysterious history in Washington State. And while the practices have changed over time, they never truly disappeared. This week on Weird Washington, we explore nearly two centuries of spiritualism, witchcraft, and the supernatural in the Pacific Northwest. From Rebecca Carr Staley, Tacoma’s mysterious nineteenth-century seer, to the séances and spiritual teachings of Seattle’s Aquarian Foundation, and the modern Wiccan traditions practiced deep in the Cascade Mountains. Three different eras. Three remarkable stories. One enduring fascination with the world beyond our understanding. Shop the NEW Weird Washington Hoodie! https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com/ References Job Carr Cabin Museum — Tacoma’s Founding Mothers: Rebecca Vail Pitman Carr Staley. Historical biography documenting Rebecca Carr Staley’s life, spiritualism, and reputation in early Tacoma.https://www.jobcarrmuseum.org/blog/tacoma-s-founding-mothers-rebecca-vail-pitman-carr-staley Aquarian Foundation — The Beginning: Keith Milton Rhinehart. Historical information about the founding of the Aquarian Foundation in Seattle in 1955.https://keithmiltonrhinehart.com/the-beginning Aquarian Foundation — The 1950s. Accounts of Rhinehart’s mediumship, séances, spiritual teachings, and international activities.https://keithmiltonrhinehart.com/the-1950s Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology — Aquarian Foundation. Historical overview of the Seattle organization, its Spiritualist beliefs, and Rhinehart’s claimed supernatural phenomena.https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/aquarian-foundation Aquarian Tabernacle Church — Explore the Mother Church. Information about the Wiccan church in Index, Washington, including its ritual grounds and Moonstone Circle.https://www.atcwicca.org/the-tab The Magical Buffet — Pete Pathfinder Davis Historical Timeline. Historical chronology of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church’s founding and development in Washington.https://themagicalbuffet.com/blog1/?p=76

    Washington's Witching Hour

  4. Oct 7

    The Ghoul of Grays Harbor

    At the turn of the twentieth century, Aberdeen, Washington was one of the roughest ports on the Pacific Coast—a place where sailors, loggers, drifters, and desperate men disappeared into the fog of Grays Harbor. At the center of the story was Billy Gohl, a powerful union agent whose name became permanently connected to Aberdeen’s infamous “Floater Fleet”—the bodies of murdered men found drifting through the harbor. In this episode of Weird Washington, we descend into one of the darkest chapters in Washington State history—where documented murder, local legend, and something far more disturbing begin to blur together. Because in Aberdeen, some people believe Billy Gohl never really left. Shop Weird Washington Official Gear! ⁠https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com References  Goings, Aaron. The Port of Missing Men: Billy Gohl, Labor, and Brutal Times in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 2020. https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295747415/the-port-of-missing-men/ Goings, Aaron. “Grays Harbor Workers: Aaron Goings on The Port of Missing Men.” University of Washington Press Blog, September 9, 2020. https://uwpressblog.com/2020/09/09/grays-harbor-workers-aaron-goings-on-the-port-of-missing-men/ Morning Oregonian. “Gohl Is Murderer, Says Sailor.” April 6, 1910, p. 1. Historic Oregon Newspapers, University of Oregon Libraries. https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1910-04-06/ed-1/seq-1/ Sunday Oregonian. “Gohl Faces Information.” February 13, 1910, p. 3. Historic Oregon Newspapers, University of Oregon Libraries. https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1910-02-13/ed-1/seq-3/ Morning Oregonian. Coverage of John Klingenberg’s trial and account of the Hadberg and Hoffman killings. October 13, 1910, p. 14. Historic Oregon Newspapers, University of Oregon Libraries. https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1910-10-13/ed-1/seq-14/ AGHOST. “Strange Things Are Happening at Billy’s Bar & Grill.” June 5, 2018. https://www.aghost.org/post/2018/06/05/strange-things-are-happening-at-billy-s-bar-grill

    The Ghoul of Grays Harbor

  5. Sep 30

    The Battle of Ape Canyon

    In the summer of 1924, five gold miners were working a claim deep in the wilderness near Mount St. Helens when they encountered something they couldn’t explain. Huge tracks appeared around their camp. Strange whistles echoed through the woods. And after one of the men claimed to have shot a massive, hair-covered creature, something followed them back to their cabin. That night, the attack began. Rocks slammed into the roof and walls. Heavy footsteps circled the cabin in the darkness. The miners fired their rifles through gaps in the logs while enormous figures moved through the trees outside. By morning, the men abandoned their claim and fled the mountain—and their story would become one of the most infamous Bigfoot encounters in American history. Shop Weird Washington Official Gear! ⁠https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com References Books • Chris Bader — Strange Northwest: Weird Encounters in Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Hancock House, 1995. • Lynn Bragg — Washington Myths & Legends: The True Stories Behind History’s Mysteries, 2nd ed. Globe Pequot Press, 2015. “Mountain Devils on Mount St. Helens.” Online & Historical Sources • Fred Beck — I Fought the Apemen of Mt. St. Helens, WA (1967), told by Fred Beck and written by Ronald A. Beck. Reproduced by Bigfoot Encounters. • Daniel Perez — Bibliography on Ape Canyon Incident, 1924 (2022), Bigfoot Times. Compilation of contemporary newspaper reports and historical material surrounding the incident. • The Oregonian / OregonLive — “How a 1924 Bigfoot battle on Mt. St. Helens helped launch a legend,” Douglas Perry. • The Morning Oregonian — contemporary July 1924 reporting on the Ape Canyon story and subsequent investigation. • Eugene Guard — contemporary July 1924 reporting, including coverage of the proposed YMCA-camper/prank explanation. • The Oregon Encyclopedia — “Bigfoot (Sasquatch) Legend,” Robert Walls. • U.S. Geological Survey — Mount St. Helens early-settlement documentation and historical background. • Additional contemporary 1924 newspaper accounts and archival material collected in the Ape Canyon historical record.

    The Battle of Ape Canyon

  6. Sep 23

    Mel's Hole

    Nine miles South of Ellensburg, somewhere along Manastash Ridge, a man calling himself Mel Waters claimed there was a hole on his property that had been used as a dumping ground for decades—and somehow never filled up. When he tried to measure it, he said he lowered nearly 80,000 feet of fishing line into the darkness without ever reaching the bottom.  But the deeper Mel’s story went, the stranger it became. Animals refused to approach the pit. A dead dog was supposedly seen alive again. Then came claims of government intervention, missing time, impossible objects, and a second hole with properties even more disturbing than the first. In this episode of Weird Washington, we head into central Washington to follow the bizarre story that began with a late-night radio call—and became one of the Pacific Northwest’s most enduring paranormal legends.  Shop Weird Washington Official Gear! ⁠https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com References Coast to Coast AM — “UFO Disclosure & Mel’s Hole”The original February 21, 1997 broadcast in which Art Bell introduced Mel Waters’ story and spoke with him about the alleged bottomless hole near Ellensburg.https://www.coasttocoastam.com/alternate/amp/show/ufo-disclosure-mels-hole/ Coast to Coast AM — “The Return of Mel’s Hole”Mel Waters’ 2002 return to the program, including his claims involving the government, the dead dog, his disappearance, and the strange second hole.https://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/the-return-of-mels-hole/ The Seattle Times — “Expedition Seeks Paranormal Pit”Contemporary reporting on attempts to locate the alleged hole near Manastash Ridge and investigate the legend surrounding it.https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20020414/melshole14m/expedition-seeks-paranormal-pit Ellensburg Daily Record — “Getting to the Bottom of Mel’s Hole”Local reporting examining the legend, the search for Mel Waters, and the lack of verifiable evidence that the mysterious hole ever existed.https://www.dailyrecordnews.com/news/getting-to-the-bottom-of-mels-hole/article_d72b6a68-7ac2-11e1-b3ce-001a4bcf887a.html Skeptoid — “Falling into Mel’s Hole”A skeptical examination of Mel Waters’ claims, the geography surrounding Manastash Ridge, and attempts to determine whether the story could have been true.https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4156 Mel’s Hole Archive — Original Mel Waters RecordingsArchive preserving material and audio connected with Mel Waters’ original Coast to Coast AM appearances.https://melshole.org/

    Mel's Hole

  7. Sep 16

    The Lady of the Lake

    Lake Crescent is one of the most beautiful places in Washington—but in 1940, two fishermen discovered something floating on its surface that would expose a murder nearly three years old. In this episode of Weird Washington, we follow the disappearance of Hallie Illingworth, the strange condition of her body when she was finally found, and the trail of evidence that led investigators back to her husband, Monty Illingworth. What began as a missing-person mystery became one of Washington’s most haunting true-crime cases—complete with unusual forensic evidence, a murder trial, and a legend that still lingers around the cold, dark waters of Lake Crescent. Shop Weird Washington Official Gear! ⁠https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com References HistoryLink.org — “True Crime: The Lady of the Lake”Detailed history of Hallie Illingworth’s disappearance, recovery, identification, the investigation, and Monty Illingworth’s trial and conviction.https://www.historylink.org/File/8599 National Park Service — Olympic National ParkBackground on Lake Crescent’s geology, depth, formation, and physical characteristics.https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/geology.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/lake-crescent-area-brochure.htm Historic American Buildings Survey / National Park Service — Storm King Inn, HABS No. WA-156Historical information on Harry Brooks, the rope Monty borrowed, and the forensic evidence later used in the case.https://npshistory.com/publications/olym/habs-wa-156.pdf Columbia Magazine / Washington State Historical Society — “Lady of the Lake”Historical account of the investigation, forensic evidence, prosecution, conviction, sentencing, and parole.https://www.npshistory.com/publications/olym/c-v6n2-1992.pdf Washington Rural Heritage / North Olympic Heritage — Illingworth Reward PosterArchival record of Sheriff Charles W. Kemp’s reward poster seeking help identifying Hallie through her dental work.https://www.washingtonruralheritage.org/digital/collection/nols/id/2143/ Cascade PBS — Mossback’s Northwest, “Dead people tell no tales. Or do they?”Modern overview of the case, including Hallie’s unusual preservation, dental identification, and the rope evidence.https://www.cascadepbs.org/mossback/2024/11/mossbacks-northwest-dead-people-tell-no-tales-or-do-they/

    The Lady of the Lake

  8. Sep 9

    America’s Atomic City

    Richland, Washington looks like an ordinary city today—but during World War II, it became the front door to one of the most secretive projects in American history. In this episode of Weird Washington, we dig into Hanford, the B Reactor, the race to build the atomic bomb, and the strange government-built community that grew around it. The war ended, but Hanford’s story didn’t. Decades of plutonium production, radioactive contamination, buried waste, and lingering secrecy left behind a legacy that still hangs over southeastern Washington. Shop Weird Washington Official Gear! ⁠https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com References National Park Service — “About Hanford”History of the Hanford Site, the transformation of Richland into a secret wartime community, Manhattan Project operations, and plutonium production. https://www.nps.gov/mapr/about-hanford.htm⁠ National Park Service — “B Reactor”Background on the world’s first full-scale nuclear reactor, its construction at Hanford, and the plutonium produced for the Trinity test and the Fat Man bomb dropped on Nagasaki. https://www.nps.gov/places/000/b-reactor.htm⁠ National Park Service — “Richland’s Alphabet Houses”Detailed history of Richland’s rapid wartime construction, government-owned housing, DuPont, architect Gustav Pehrson, and daily life inside the Manhattan Project’s secret city. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/richland-s-alphabet-houses.htm⁠ National Park Service — Manhattan Project National Historical ParkHistorical information on Hanford, the communities displaced by the project, B Reactor, wartime Richland, and Hanford’s role in the development of the atomic bomb.https://www.nps.gov/mapr/index.htm⁠ U.S. Department of Energy — Hanford SiteHistorical and present-day information on Hanford’s plutonium-production mission, Cold War operations, radioactive waste, environmental contamination, and ongoing cleanup.https://www.hanford.gov/⁠ U.S. Department of Energy — Hanford Historical Photograph CollectionHistoric photographs and records documenting Hanford before, during, and after the Manhattan Project, including the former towns of Hanford and White Bluffs and the site’s nuclear facilities. https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/em-contractor-preserves-hanfords-history-through-lens-old-photos⁠ National Park Service — “Before & After Photos of Park Sites & Communities”Historic and modern photographs of Hanford and its surrounding communities, including B Reactor and other Manhattan Project-era locations. https://www.nps.gov/mapr/learn/photosmultimedia/before-and-after.htm⁠

    America’s Atomic City

  9. Sep 3

    Harry R. Truman

    Harry R. Truman had every chance to leave Mt. St. Helens before it erupted - and he refused. In this episode of Weird Washington, we explore Harry R. Truman, the desperate attempts to evacuate him, and the catastrophic morning that sealed his place in history. The Man, The Mountain, & May 18th, 1980. Shop Weird Washington Official Gear! https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com References HistoryLink.org — “Truman, Harry R. (1896–1980)”Detailed biography covering Harry Truman’s early life, his years at Spirit Lake, his lodge, his personality, his refusal to evacuate, and his death during the 1980 eruption.https://www.historylink.org/File/22801 Shirley Rosen — Truman of St. Helens: The Man and His MountainBiography written by Truman’s niece and one of the primary published sources on Harry’s life, personality, family history, and connection to Spirit Lake. U.S. Geological Survey — “1980 Cataclysmic Eruption”Scientific timeline of the events surrounding May 18, 1980, including the earthquake, landslide, lateral blast, ash plume, pyroclastic flows, and destruction surrounding Mount St. Helens.https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mount-st-helens/science/1980-cataclysmic-eruption U.S. Geological Survey — Mount St. HelensBackground on the volcano’s history, geology, eruptive activity, summit collapse, and the long-term effects of the 1980 eruption.https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mount-st-helens U.S. Geological Survey — “Mount St. Helens’ 1980 Eruption Changed the Future of Volcanology”Historical overview of the eruption, scientific monitoring, destruction caused by the blast, and the 57 people who died.https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/mount-st-helens-1980-eruption-changed-future-volcanology U.S. Geological Survey — Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, “The Eruption”Historical imagery and information documenting the physical transformation of Mount St. Helens and the surrounding blast zone.https://eros.usgs.gov/earthshots/the-eruption U.S. Forest ServiceHistorical information and archival photographs documenting Spirit Lake, Mount St. Helens, the surrounding national forest, and the landscape before and after the eruption.

    Harry R. Truman

  10. Aug 17

    This Is Weird Washington: You Don’t Know the Half of It

    Something strange is hiding in the Pacific Northwest. From dark chapters of forgotten history and chilling local legends to cryptids, unexplained events, and stories that refuse to stay buried, Weird Washington digs into the mysteries lurking in our own backyard. Some are true. Some are legend. Some have never been explained. Welcome to Weird Washington. Things are about to get weird.

    This Is Weird Washington: You Don’t Know the Half of It
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About

Weird Washington explores the strange, dark, mysterious, and downright bizarre stories hiding throughout Washington State and the Pacific Northwest. From haunted places and unexplained events to cryptids, local legends, forgotten history, and stories that sound too strange to be true, we dig into the people, places, and mysteries that make this corner of the country unlike anywhere else. Some stories are history. Some are legend. Some remain unexplained. *Shop Official Weird Washington Merch* https://weird-washington-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com/ NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEK!

Information

  • Creator
    ABB Podcast Studios
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © ABB Podcast Studios
  • Show Website
    Weird Washington

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