Underrated Ghost Stories And Mythical Creatures All Over The World: One Hundred And Fifty-Seventh Stop – Whittier, Alaska

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Underrated Ghost Stories And Mythical Creatures All Over The World: One Hundred And Fifty-Seventh Stop – Whittier, Alaska

Whittier is a city in Alaska that is located at the head of the Passage Canal. It is around 58 miles southeast of anchorage and is one of the most isolated places in the United States. Tourists go to Whittier, Alaska during the summer because they are attracted by the unspoiled wilderness of not only the forests, but also the glaciers, the islands, and the water in the area.

A scenic view in Whittier, Alaska during the summer. (Link: https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/memberreviews/shore-excursions/port/141/)

One more interesting fact about Whittier is that most of its residents live in a 14-story building called Begich Towers, which is actually one of the haunted places in this city.

Downtown Whittier, Alaska. (Link: https://vacationidea.com/adventure/best-things-to-do-in-whittier-alaska.html)

The History Of Whittier

The city of Whittier is in a region that was once part of the portage route of the Chugach people. Later, the passage was used by the Russian and American explorers as well as miners who wanted to look for more gold in the area during the Klondike Gold Rush. Eventually, it became a city and it was named after the Whittier Glacier, which was named for American poet John Greenleaf Whittier.

An undated photo of John Greenleaf Whittier. (Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Greenleaf_Whittier)

During the second World War, the United States Army also used the area near Whittier Glacier as an area for the construction of a military facility. The facility was known as Camp Sullivan and it was completed in the year 1943. Since then, the port became the entrance for the United States soldiers coming to Alaska.

Following World War II, two main buildings were constructed. These are the current residence of the people of Whittier, the Begich Towers, and the Buckner Building. The Begich Towers was completed in the year 1957 and it contains 150 two and three bedroom apartments as well as bachelor pads. Initially, dependent families and Civil Service employees occupied this building. As for the Buckner Building, it was completed in the year 1953 and was used as the home of the other residents of Whittier, Alaska. Eventually, it was abandoned and almost all of them moved to Begich Towers.   

Begich Towers is located at the edge of town. Photographer Reed Young wanted to capture the dry-docked boat in the foreground. “You see a ton of boats that are just scattered all over,” he says

A photo showing the facade of Begich Towers. (Link: https://www.npr.org/2015/01/18/378162264/welcome-to-whittier-alaska-a-community-under-one-roof)

One of the most historic events in Whittier was recorded on March 28, 1964. During this time, the Good Friday earthquake happened and it resulted to Whittier suffering from $10 million worth of damage. It was the largest U.S. earthquake as it measured 9.2 on the magnitude scale.

An undated photo showing the aftermath of the deadly earthquake in Whittier. (Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Alaska_earthquake)

It even caused tsunamis on the West Coast of the United States. The tsunami in Whittier actually reached 43 feet and killed 13 people. It also led to a town to be submerged.

Another campground in Whittier, Alaska where a town used to be before the deadly earthquake. (Link: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g31163-d1114490-Reviews-Portage_Cove_Campground-Whittier_Alaska.html)

Later, Whittier had better access points to tourists. It became the embarkation/debarkation point of one-way cruises from Anchorage to Vancouver by Princess Tours. Many photographers, outdoor enthusiasts, sport fishermen, hikers, hunters, and many more, also love coming to Whittier because of its wildlife and natural beauty.

One of the campgrounds in Whittier, Alaska. (Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingandHiking/comments/9cjhki/just_outside_whittier_alaska/)

However, Whittier isn’t all natural beauty.

The Haunted Places At Whittier, Alaska

Whittier is known for being a campground to visitors. It is dubbed as the most haunted campground all over United States.

Accordingly, even before you get to the Whittier campground, the tunnel that leads there is already creepy. Reports say that the tunnel, which is 2.5 miles long, is dark and not well-lit. And when you reach the other end, you will be driving into a thick blanket of fog.

A photo of the tunnel at Whittier, Alaska. (Link: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2016/10/25/rockfall-inside-anton-anderson-memorial-tunnel-shuts-down-only-road-to-whittier/)

The campground is said to have its fair share of paranormal activities, but it is recommended that if you want to surely be spooked, check out the abandoned Buckner Building and the home of most of the residents of Whittier, the Begich Towers.

A photo of the hallway at the Begich Towers. (Link: https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2016/08/18/begich-towers-home-to-about-half-the-population-of-whittier-gets-a-much-needed-overhaul/)

More on the Buckner Building, it once housed everything that Whittier needed. It had a small hospital, a theater that had a capacity of 320 people, a four-lane bowling alley, a six-cell jail, a bakery, a church, a barbershop, a rifle range, a photo lab, a cafeteria, a kitchen, a library, and many more. It was abandoned slowly by the military as they moved out of Whittier and it suffered great destruction during the Big Alaska Earthquake as earlier stated. If you visit this place now, almost every room that are still accessible, have inch-deep water flooding its floors. This abandoned building reportedly has the word spooky written all over it. There are a lot of weird and paranormal noises that can be heard once inside.

One of the rooms at the abandoned Buckner Building. (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxAsifu3Aww)

One person, who was identified only as Bob, uploaded a video on YouTube showing his experience and letting viewers hear the sounds he recorded. Per the comments, they heard the words help from a spirit. Another was instructing Bob to shoot on landscape mode. For other listeners, they heard a woman calling Bob as Bobbie and asking him what he is doing.

As for the Begich Towers, the spirits that live there are reportedly very visible as they are seen floating around. Some of them even look for food in the kitchen and stomp around the residence of the people of Whittier. The residents are reportedly aware that they share the towers with the spirits and they just learned to live with it.

A photo of the foggy Whittier, Alaska. (Link: https://exploretraveler.com/exploring-whittier-alaska/)

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