The Abandoned: Tunnel Entrance

Monday, October 10, 2011

Tunnel Entrance

Upstairs there is an empty elevator shaft, seen here on the left.

A floor below, cloaked in the darkness, just past where the elevator still hangs motionless against the floor...

...One can find an entrance to one of the hidden tunnels which still exist in The Abandoned. Today there is no access. You can see where vandals have tried to pry up a bolted sheet of metal placed there to keep them out. So far, the vandals have been unsuccessful.

There are rumors of another tunnel entrance which once connected with the old Dammasch State Hospital. My Dad worked there as an aide years ago--he has told us the rumors are true, but I have never found it.

Such a strange, mysterious place, filled with hidden stories and odd bits of magic.

WARNING: Think twice about visiting The Abandoned without permission. You risk getting arrested for trespassing.

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The Abandoned

Years ago, I dedicated this blog to The Abandoned, a huge complex of abandoned buildings in rural Oregon.

Surrounded by wetlands and old growth timber, The Callahan Center was built in the 1970's by the State of Oregon as a rehabilitation center for people recovering from injuries on the job.

In 1992, the property was bought by a mega church. However, the Living Enrichment Center closed in 2004, amidst financial scandal and the property was abandoned.

The buildings stood empty for many years. Over that span the property was vandalized and looted. Yet the beauty of its rare architecture shone through the shambles of abuse and disrepair.

In the summer of 2013, the complex was completely demolished. We were all sad to see the buildings go, but because of trespassers and vandals, it was necessary to take them down.

The area where The Abandoned once stood is filled with $500,000 mushroom houses (homes built so fast they pop up like mushrooms) built on postage stamp lots. There are sidewalks and tall lamps where I once watched the foxes of the field leaping above the grass, hunting rodents.

The surrounding woodlands still survive. It is my prayer the wetlands and forests with their pristine creeks, native trees and flowers, as well as the wildlife which shelter there, will be protected.