Along
the Willamette River in Portland Oregon, in the recesses of Chinatown lie the
Shanghai Tunnels. Built around 1850 and
thriving till 1941 the Shanghai tunnels stands as a modern marvel to both the
genius engineering and sinister plot that it would befall. Originally built for
the fast travel of purchased goods from the docks the tunnels allowed for hotel
and brothel owner to avoid not only customs, taxes but also traffic that crowed
the streets of Portland at the time. Built by the Chinese gangs or tongs the
tunnels also served as a gambling den and escape route via trap doors and
alleyway exits. Years pass and the tunnels go unchecked due to “special police”
who of course have been paid to keep their noses out of tong business.
Known as the north
end underworld these tunnels would remain unchecked until the 1980’s. When
police officers finally brought in sledge hammers and began cracking down walls
in pursuit of illegal activity. In 1913 the city council created the secret
passages ordinance. Introduced by Mayor
Albee and passed unanimously the ordinance made it illegal for anyone to own or
maintain trap doors or other contrivances
During
the 1850’s to 1920’s an illegal practice was also performed within the Shanghai
Tunnels. Shanghaiing is nautical term which is defined as: to enroll or obtain
(a sailor) for the crew of a ship by unscrupulous means, as by force or the use
of liquor and drugs (Webster) .
The reason this was called shanghaiing and not Impressment (the same thing
really) is due to the fact that these men were not being recruited for the
Royal Navy of Great Brittan for the purpose of manning warships. They were taken for the purpose of being free
slaves on clipper ships. The men taken hostage or shanghaied were white men who
were generally hobos or the low lives of Portland. Seen for years by the public of Portland as a
public service Crimps (men who worked in boarding houses, pubs, bars, brothels
and other inns or hotels used drugs or whatever means necessary to get “bodies”
on ships) or “boarding masters” as they liked to be called would often wait
inside local inns and areas where sailors from foreign or native ships would
come to “unwind”. Waiting for hours until the sailor was good and drunk off
booze known as gutrot (the lowest grade of alcohol a man could purchase roughly
about 2 pennies at the time: remember to account for inflated rates for
sailors, as the boarding houses and inns knew sailors would pay the high prices
just for one drink.).
Works
Cited
“SECRET PASSAGES
BARRED.” Oregon News. Historic Oregonian
Newspapers. N.D. Web. 14 Oct 2013
Dankers,
Clarice. “Shanghaied in Portland.” Story mentor. Word Press. 2012. Web. 15 Oct
2013.
Blalock,
Barney-Athanasius. “The Portland Waterfront History Blog.” Portland Waterfront.
Blogger. 21 Feb 2013. Web. 6 Oct 2013.
Finn J.D John.
“the Mysterious Portland Shanghaiing Scene:” Wicked-Portland. The History
Press. 7 Aug 2012. Web. 7 Oct 2013.
“The History of
Clipper Ships.” Think Quest. Oracle Think Quest. N.D. Web. 13 Oct 2013.
Blalock, Barney-Athanasius. “The Shanghai Dock
in Black and White.” Portland Waterfront. Blogger. 15 mar 2013. Web. 18 Oct
2013
Links for further
research
Portland Waterfront
Goes more in
depth about the secrets of the Shanghai Tunnels
Shanghai Tunnels
The dark secrets
of Portland’s past
Haunted Portland
History of
hauntings for the Shanghai Tunnels
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