Witch’s Castle

We did a quick jaunt down to Portland for an overnight trip and our very first stop was Forest Park. Within Forest Park, just a 1/2 mile walk from the Upper MacLeay Parking lot, is an interesting little abandoned building known as Witch’s Castle. The history behind the name does not disappoint.

During summer and spring months, the hike down to Witch’s Castle is easy. During snow time however, the icy downhill trail gets a bit treacherous, especially over the sections without railings.

After witnessing several other hikers slip on ice, and a few others slooooowly attempt to make their way down, we came upon this eerie shell –—roofless and covered with moss.

In the 1850s, Danford Balch purchased land near the newly settled town of Portland. Balch hired Mortimer Stump to help clear his land so he could build a home for his family of 10. Mortimer moved into a cabin on the property. Over time, Stump and Balch’s 15-year-old daughter Anna fell in love, and eventually Stump asked Balch for Anna’s hand in marriage. When Balch refused to give them his blessing, Stump and Anna threatened to elope which resulted in Balch threatening to kill Stump. The couple decided to elope anyway in November of 1858.

One night, Balch encountered the young couple in Portland. He then proceeded to shoot Stump in the face with a double-barreled shotgun while all were aboard the Stark Street Ferry. Balch was arrested but he escaped while awaiting trial. He was arrested 6 months later when he was found on the family property. He claimed he was bewitched by his wife and he eventually blamed her for what happened. No one bought the story though –in October of 1859, he became the first person to be legally executed in Oregon.

After Balch’s death, his widow Mary Jane became known as ‘The Witch’ and she continued to live on the property with her children.