Ghost Stories of Washington

Ghost House Books

by Barbara Smith

Enjoy this spooky romp through a world of restless spirits, from the ghost who warns hikers in the Cascades about a dangerous path, to the phantoms that roam the Seattle Underground. You'll read a fascinating account about a man wrongly lynched near Rockford. He swears revenge on the drunken vigilantes who strung him up--and they each die screaming. Another story tells of the spirits that ring the bells in the tower of Tacoma's Old City Hall--even after the bells have been made unusable.

Genres: Paranormal, Ghosts, Nonfiction, Short Stories, Folklore

232 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Barbara Smith is a Canadian author celebrated for her captivating collections of ghost stories steeped in folklore, history, and national identity. Since leaving her job as a school secretary in 1988, she has published numerous books exploring Canada’s most enduring supernatural legends. Her passion for the paranormal was sparked as a child in Toronto and grew into a lifelong pursuit, fueled by a background in social history and mystery. With titles like Great Canadian Ghost Stories and Great Canadian Campfire Stories, Smith shares eerie tales from coast to coast, entertaining readers while preserving Canada's rich storytelling tradition.

Reviews

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume is harmless spooky fun, but the stories often lack the detail and believability to make them really compelling. Some entries are very short, and forgettable as a result. This is probably best suited to readers who are interested in seeking out ghost tours or allegedly haunted locations in person, rather than to more casual readers who are just looking for some spooky entertainment.

[Mary MacKintosh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am afraid most of these stories read like campfire fiction, so I was disappointed, but then, I bought it in a hardware store.

[Ashlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good book of short stories on ghost. Great for road trips or camping.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great number of interesting historical sites are named in the book including the ghost tales that accompany them. As a tourist interested in the paranormal, this is a comprehensive guide to some of the most worthwhile places and areas to visit in the state. Also, many of the excerpts may spark further interest in certain lore and would work well to jump start or inspire several novel-type tales.

If you enjoy reading 230 pages of summary, this is the book for you. Although packed with a number of featured places, the details are short and read like a briefing or ‘account’ rather than actually providing chilling or original insight. Each section contains fairly common information that can be obtained through minimal research. I was hoping for more compelling and possibly goose bump raising stories that give some facts or debunking of the paranormal. Instead, it reads more like a quick campfire story. Spook factor is minimal.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Booooo..... and not in the cool ghostly fashion, either. I was looking forward to some fun, spine tingling ghost stories, ala; Light King, or, if not that, enough riveting detail to make me want to roam around my Home State, Ghost Hunting - but, in both areas, this book failed to deliver. There were a few moments of fun, but the author waffles between story telling, and flat narrative, as well as periodic, short paragraphs that would leave the most ardent believer feeling rather flat. The 3rd star (instead of 2), comes from the few stories (ie; the Seattle Underground) that had enough detail to at least peak your interest enough to think about following up, but overall the book was a missed chance at a fun idea.

[dj · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars rounded down

i'm patriotic for my state and i love ghost stories. not a lot of information in some of these entries but whatever. i read it because it's october and i had a discussion with my dad about ghosts before he let me have it to read

also sort of disappointed cause there weren't a lot near me

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great little snippets of local legends. Great gift read from my friend who visited the Seattle Underground.

[Paloma St louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fun and spooky tour through Washington state history that lets people feel the thrill of knowing they might have something eerie just around the corner.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tales of ghosts and haunted locations from all across the state of Washington.

[Connie Glasgow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun short stories - purchased to share with book club at our retreat. A little past Halloween yet good stories all the same

[Cindy Tingley, CPS · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love a good ghost story, but I found this book severely lacking in good narrative. It was hard to get through all of the stories because each one left me wanting for more.

[Geri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this book over the weekend at a used book store. Since this is my home state I figured I'd probably already heard all the stories. I was pleasently surprised to find several that were new to me. The book is interesting but the writting is rather stilted which makes it not as good as it could be. On the whole I'm glad I took a chance on it though. I might even read it again in the future.

[Stacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it to page 114. I'm not sure how.

If you want to read a book about every single random ghost sighting in the history of Washington, this is the book for you.

If you want a book that talks about where ghosts hang out today and perhaps get ideas on places to go visit, then this book is not for you.

[Buffheart]

My mom let me pick this book out, and then gave it to me as a Christmas present a few years ago. I found this book fascinating, if not a bit spooky, because I like to read about real ghost stories. They always freak me out, though.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few ghost stories are fun, but 80+ in a single volume is a bit much. It was worth a skim, though, for accounts of some purportedly haunted inns in the area and also what may be a house I drive by on my way to work - a fantastic, dilapidated Victorian the occupants recently painted black.