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| Ebenezer Chapel, located next to the Odell Cemetery |
The Myth
Ebenezer Chapel is supposed to be one of the most haunted places in Oregon. According
to local legend, the Preacher Ebenezer, who founded the Ebenezer Chapel, was a polygamist
cult leader with seven wives. In a violent rampage, he murdered his thirteen children
(aged 9 mo-13 years) then burned their bodies in the chapel’s fireplace.
The
remains of the corpses were buried in the cemetery attached to the Chapel.In recent years, a man was supposedly hit by a car next to the cemetery and was abandoned
there to die.
For years the chapel has been haunted by
glowing lights, voices, and scratching sounds in the walls.
The facts
As
romantic and chilling as the above story sounds, I have found no historical
data to back the legend. According to historical documents, the
chapel was built in 1860’s. It was rebuilt in 1926 using the original fireplace
and much of the building's materials.
There
was no proof of a preacher named Ebenezer. No one is sure how the chapel got
its name. There was a man named John Odell who had thirteen children. Like most
families from the time period, some of them died, and some lived to have their
own families.
The
Odell cemetery has 48 people buried there, eighteen don’t have headstones.
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| side view of the chapel |
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| Inside the Chapel |
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| a large hole in the fireplace wall |
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| Inside view of the chapel |
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| Yes, I brought Edgar | . |
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| Oldest Headstone in the Odell Cemetery. It belongs to Samuel Angel who died in 1856. What an appropriate last name. |
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| Civil War Veteran, William J Carpenter |
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| I loved this cross |
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| Most of the headstones are broken off, leaning against the trees. Everything is covered in ivy. |
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| Willard Coovert 1855-1882. I loved the rose on the headstone. |
The day was beautiful and I got my first sunburn for the year. It was wonderful to get out with my friend, Adrienne, for another bike ride. In total we biked about 15 miles. Expect my rides to get longer to prepare for the Cycle the Lakes ride of 100 miles!
Fact I've been there. I have seen very odd things happen there.
ReplyDeleteLike what cuz my family owns it
DeleteI've been there as well and wondered if it was owned by someone currently. Is it okay for people to explore as long as they're respectful of the property? My experience was very interesting and I would love to go back.
DeleteI think these things r so cool. I will have to go their
ReplyDeleteId warn going their at night drug dealers do go out there and the property owner likes to pull guns on people. It is on private land
ReplyDeleteI'd like to have his permission perhaps
DeleteI have been there before myself. Strange things have happened that are beyond belief. i can't begin explaining what I have felt.
ReplyDeleteI've been there a couple times! At night and during the day... It's an awesome place and spooky too! Advise not to go at night because yes the owner will pull guns and/or call the authorities! I luckily knew people that knew the family who owned it. But great pix!
ReplyDeleteWould you be able to put me in contact with the owners of the property?
DeleteWent with friends, one who was sensitive, im a little sensitive! One person took pictures! Went home and downloaded pictures! Saw lot's of cats,figured it was a drop off spot! The one thing we didn't expect was a pixie like creature, with small pointed ears and squinted eyes giving us a dirty look! It was squatted down with it's back against the tree! It's clothing made of leaves, so it blended in with the ivy climbing the tree! I wouldn't go there again!
DeleteI just posted my experience on this site today, June 8, 2016. Read my post below regarding what happened to me and possibly my dog seeing something that frightened the crap out of him, or maybe he was protecting us. I wonder if what I heard, felt and what he saw was the same as what you and your friends experienced. We both grew up there and now we are moving back to Dayton and bought a house, but we will never go there again.
DeleteI live just a couple miles from it....its spooky but never had a gun pulled on me
ReplyDeleteI live right next to the cemetery and the old man does not pull guns out on people he just walks his dog
ReplyDeleteI went there last night with a bunch of friends, we saw and heard some crazy things! I am not a fan of haunted places at night but I went to prove to them it was haunted and about shit myself it was so freaky.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Dayton and can tell you this place definately has an evil entity there. We had 2 cars full of friends. No we were not drinking or on drugs. Rocks started being throw forcefully. A big black shadow came out of the darkness. We ran so fast and as we drove away that black shadow chased the last car. This was around 1993 and both cars were very fast and we were afraid we were going to wreck. I will never forget the shadow..blob like...chasing us. A friend claims the evil entity followed him home. Never go there at night!!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely something there - especially since I went there and found five people there sitting inside the chapel. They were forming a star on the ground, and were holding candles - I don't know the language they were talking in, but I think it was latin. Freakin'. Creepy. I left a couple minutes after I showed up cause I got spooked. 2spooky4me.
ReplyDeleteI am from there and that place is scary! partied there when I was a kid and hung out there a few times. Rumors used to fly around the yamhill county area of occults that used to do rituals there and other places along the trask mountain area.
ReplyDeleteMy fiancée and I drove out there during the day. Our dog was in the car watching us as we walked around taking pictures. I was taking pictures of the chapel and instantly my hairs stood up and I got goose bumps. I felt there was something next to me and heard leaves crushing. I looked around thinking it must've just been a small animal and shrugged it off. We took a few more pictures and decided to leave. We were the only ones there and right as we put the car in reverse, our dog started going crazy growling, barking and ferociously scratching at the window and door panel on the passenger side which faced the cemetery. He was in full attack mode. He's never done that before. We both turned and looked out the passenger window and did not see anything. We got out of there as quick as we could. We both grew up there and we just bought a home, so we will be moving back, but we will never go there again.
ReplyDeleteCant wait to check this place out. Starting some research and already got goose bumps..
ReplyDeleteFound this https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=977&dat=19760923&id=3iglAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rhAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=2034,2773764&hl=en
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ReplyDeleteI grew up in Dayton Oregon and this was just down the street from my farm that I grew up on. It's always been very eerie and creepy. We would drive by and see lights flashing and hear noises from the road. Always felt cold chills on the street. Def scary place!
ReplyDeleteThis is my family's cemetery and there is nothing haunted or creepy about it. The people buried there are my ancestors and family members. They were normal, everyday hardworking people, many of whom were original pioneers and settlers to the area. The rumors and myths about this place are simply ridiculous and are disrespectful to my family. Any negative energy in this cemetery comes from the vandalism and disrespect with which this sacred space is being subjected to by people who are treating it like a freak show. Please respect this resting place and let my ancestors rest in peace as they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I grew up in Dayton and live not too far down the road, and have been coming by here since I was a kid. I'm an empath and I get no creepy vibes from this place. In face, it kind of hits a soft spot in my heart. It's been the victim of sad rumors I think. I'd love to see people give it some TLC, it definitely deserves it. Great little spot for history.
DeleteYou may want to be careful of what you post, these days people in Oregon can have lean squatters rights then take on adverse possession of the building... Bad idea to give way online!
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