Before there was even a television show...

There was Pacific Paranormal Research Society. For over a decade, Martina and Todd Baker have been investigating haunted locales in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With almost 200 investigations under their belt, this "Psychic and Scientist" have made a name for themselves with both the living and the dead. Over the years the couple has been featured in numerous newspapers, books and magazines and have appeared on local and national radio, television and film. Being large supporters of education, Martina and Todd were the first team in the Pacific Northwest to teach non-credit classes at three of Oregon's largest community colleges. They also enjoy working with other paranormal groups & teams.

The couple continues to lecture and make appearances at Universities, private schools, bookstores, libraries and radio and television programs especially during the Halloween season.

At this time, Martina and Todd are not accepting any new clients as they focus their time and energy on other paranormal projects.
What are these projects you ask? You're just going to have to wait and see!

OUR TOP 5/MOST HAUNTED & BEST INVESTIGATIONS

The following locations are our “Top 5” places where we’ve investigated. We chose these loc The following locations are our “Top 5” places where we’ve investigated. We chose these locations due to the amount of PERSONAL paranormal activity we experienced during our investigations.  13^th Door Haunted House at the “Old Regal Cinema”  (Closed)Tigard, Oregon

 Number of times investigated:  Countless times. We also did Ghost Tours and hosted special investigations and filmings here.

 

 

 

Ghosts & Historical Value:          Used to be a Four-plex Regal Cinema in the 1970’s. What was there before is unknown. As of 2011, the building has been demolished. There is one recorded death on the property and that is of a woman who O.D.’d in her van in the parking lot during a summer heat wave in the 1980’s (and according to security staff, was not found until 2 weeks later). Past employees from when it was the Regal Theatre claim that a young man hung himself upstairs in what is called the “Blue Room,” even though no records have proven this. Ghosts are that of a woman who likes to sing, talk aloud to herself and whom I believe is a certified kleptomaniac since she loves to steal things and then return them in hard to find locations. There is a little girl in a white dress who skips around holding her ghost cat whom would sometimes rub against patrons legs when it was a movie theatre. There is a younger man in his early 30’s (the suicide victim perhaps?), and Frank. Oh My God. Frank.  Before I knew his name was Frank, I nicknamed him Lurch. This Addams Family reference fitted him perfectly. Tall, creepy, lanky and gloomy. Except that Frank is more than just gloomy. Frank is extremely grumpy and Frank hates women. Methinks that possibly an argument over a woman may have been the cause to the end of his mortality, hence his anger towards us female types. Frank has called me the “B” word on numerous occasions. I’ve got 2 of these expletives actually recorded. Frank was known to choose women who don’t believe in ghosts and then make them physically sick. I cannot TELL YOU how many women with an attitude came through for our tours or for an investigation we were hosting who felt sickly after visiting Theatre 1, and then promptly spent the rest of their time vomiting out in the parking lot.

I never felt physically ill around Frank, but I must admit that I was ALWAYS uneasy around him. You had to be careful with Frank. I knew that Frank could be dangerous, and that he had pushed a former Theatre employee through the trap door in the “Blue Room” whereas she fell to the bottom floor and broke her leg. I spoke to this employee first-hand, and I believe her wholeheartedly that this incident took place. She was panicky while even relating this story to me, and added that when she looked up from where she had fallen, she saw Frank leaning over the open trap door, GRINNING down at her. I tried to get this ex-employee to come and meet me at TGIFridays next door to the Theatre when it was the 13^th Door Haunted House but she refused to go anywhere near the property. You could tell that she was terrified of the place.  Frank tried to push me down the stairs once, but I was holding on to the rail and Todd was in front of me and helped break my fall. Another time I was giving a ghost tour and was holding my binder open in Theatre 1 when the binder was slapped from underneath, whereas it proceeded to fly up past my head accompanied by papers flying everywhere. Everyone on the tour saw it. Some of the guests even backed away from me. I laughed and desperately tried to compose myself, but let me tell you those are the types of things he would do to shake you up. He was really good at it. Throwing toilet paper rolls at me and other employees of the Haunt in the bathroom. Yelling at me with his gruff voice or cussing through our walkie-talkies and then saying our names. Showing up on the old television close to the Blue Room where the actors of the Haunt would do their makeup and costumes; holding out a bony finger and shaking it menacingly as if in disapproval. The jerk probably has locks of my hair somewhere too, based on the amount of times he pulled my hair. Nice guy. It’s true that we’ve met our share of ghosts, but we’ve never met anybody like Frank.  And, I don’t plan on ever being able to compare anyone else to him.  Here’s what your “home” looks like now, Frank. So I ask you my friend, what will you do next??? 

 

Activity encountered:  Physical manifestations and wispy or shadowy apparitions seen by employees and guests of the haunted house as well as physical contact such as pushing, hitting, pinching, shoulder tapping, hair pulling and doors slamming. Many times you could hear a woman singing, a music box playing, a little girl humming or sometimes even screaming, whispering, raucous laughter, banging on the walls, a gruff male voice speaking or yelling. Equipment and animatronic figures manipulated on their own even when unplugged (my favorite was Buck, the animatronic deer head on the motion sensor that would start singing “Friends in Low Places” or “Sweet Home Alabama” by itself when nobody was around). Motion detectors consistently went off by themselves.  Physical items stolen and then returned in very odd places- sometimes up so high you had to get a ladder to retrieve them. Once, the back of one of our walkie-talkies was stolen and turned up in the back jean pocket belonging to Jake from the Phantom Seekers. He actually felt it being dropped in there, and grabbed at his ‘seat’ to pull it out. It had been missing for hours. Freaky stuff happened here all the time- there was so much we just can’t list it all. The time that Todd and I were in here alone after 9:00pm working on decorations and not even ghost hunting…..the buggers got so loud and so busy that they pretty much threw us out of the place. Laughing, singing, whistling, banging, opening and closing the doors, turning everything on and off at the same time, and then stealing our tools so we couldn’t work anymore...it’s like somebody turned on a paranormal switch. Never had we experienced such activity all at one time.  I personally have a love/hate relationship with this place, mostly due to Frank’s aggressive behavior. We will forever miss “The Haunt” as we affectionately call it.
 Whatever goes in there next, I wish it luck.   

Rutherglen Mansion Longview, WA   Number of times investigated: Twice with SWPR (Southwest Paranormal Research) Ghosts & Historical Value:  The original residence of John D. Tennant, and built in 1927. 13,000 square feet on 50-acres. Seven bedrooms. Ballroom on the third floor (now the wedding chapel). Was a nursing home for awhile as well as a girls home. This location is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Recorded deaths on the property include the original owner and the visiting boyfriend of a teenaged girl when it was a Girls Home who tried to break in through the sunroom and didn’t quite make the grade. A murdered ghost bride and her groom from the early 1900’s are seen here as well as the “Lady in Peach” who just walks around the perimeter of the property before disappearing. There is also a female ghost who likes to read books to you at the foot of the bed in one of the guest rooms, as well as an elderly man seen by staff who waddles around and appears to be hunched over. Activity Encountered:  Many disembodied sounds here such as people running up and down the halls, groups of people talking, music playing with no source. There are a lot of human-shaped shadows in the Mansion at nightfall. We experienced a door being flung open from the INSIDE when we were all on the patio OUTSIDE. We heard a little girl knocking on the door of our suite and with a soft voice say, “Hello?” I had a conversation with the ghost bride during my dare on “Fear Night” and received an extremely clear EVP response. Fred from SWPR and I saw the “Lady in Peach” in the late afternoon- she was taking a brisk walk on the outside patio but did not go past the main door like a living person should have. We’ve seen shadows inside and felt cold spots. Todd had a person put a hand on his shoulder during his dare on “Fear Night” while sitting at the piano located in the Chapel.  The food and service here are fabulous, and the accommodations are plush. The grounds are breathtaking even in bad weather. I highly recommend the Sunday Brunch- it was like nothing I’ve ever had before. Three words – Fab-U-Lous. Reuben is the owner and he gives the best hugs. We truly do love this place. Thank you Kim Travis and everyone from SWPR for including us at your second “home.” But Kim, I will still never forgive you for making me do that “Fear Dare” in the pitch dark in that haunted Bridal Suite- standing in front of the gilded mirror while wearing that wedding veil and playing that Gothic rendition of “Hear Comes the Bride” at full volume, all the while asking the ghost bride to come and play with me. I know I got a great EVP during this dare, but holy crap. Girl, you owe me big time!!!


 Speakeasy Steakhouse (Closed) Independence, OR

 

 

Number of times investigated: Twice  Ghosts & Historical Value:   According to a historian I spoke to at one time, in the mid 1850’s before the big flood of 1861, Independence, Oregon was very prosperous as a focal shipping point. It was also “said” that once the ferry system began running across the Willamette along with the introduction of the railroad in the 1880’s that Independence was known to be the town where many of the prominent politicians from Portland and other neighboring cities would frequent. Apparently at the time, “What happens in Independence stays in Independence,” and safe from public scrutiny these men could partake in all sorts of debauchery and obtain a get out of jail free card and basically party like a rock star.  The Speakeasy restaurant was located in the historic J.S. Cooper Block built in the late 1890’s. In its past it has housed a dentist’s office and pharmacy, a Speakeasy during prohibition, a restaurant and possible gambling establishment called the HiHo, a lawyer’s office, and a restaurant called, “Cooper’s Landing.” Probably a brothel (or at least some flapper-attired working girls) are included in there somewhere as noted above. Known deaths on the property are a dentist with a drinking problem who stabbed himself to death, and a gambler who died downstairs at the card tables. Ghosts include those listed above as well as the ghost of a little girl (whom the dentist has apparently adopted) and whom we have a photo of, and that of a young girl with short bobbed hair and 1920’s attire whom I affectionately call, “Lila” and which I had the pleasure of capturing on an EVP saying, “Gotta try to talk to her.”  Activity Encountered:  This place was very interesting and was a great place to conduct paranormal research. The frequency of the upstairs area at times can be so unsettling that it can literally make the hair on your arms and the back of your neck stand straight up. It was also extremely difficult to keep any electrical or battery powered equipment from breaking down. This included everything- our cameras, our recorders, our meters, Tim King’s $50K news camera and professional sound equipment. Yep, everything. We went through MANY packs of batteries here as well.

One of the more memorable moments was when we were downstairs near the bar. I spoke aloud, offering to buy anyone a drink who would like one. The owner’s daughter was at the other end of the bar, listening. Up above on the 2^nd floor, you could hear heavy footsteps as I emitted the offer. The footsteps above ended directly over the bar area. This type of response was very cool to experience. 
We received an astonishing apparition of a little girl reflected in one of the windows as well as a huge formation of ecto looming over Tim King from Channel 2 news while his equipment was acting haywire.** 

There has been some noted residual activity at this location as well as the conscious hauntings. This place was and I’m sure still is quite a hotbed of activity especially EVP-wise, and we were not disappointed investigating here. This location taught us a lot about how much ghosts can manipulate frequencies in our environment. Many of the EVP’s we recorded were them speaking to each other and amongst themselves. We had never heard them do this before so we were really excited to capture their conversations. A lot of the EVP’s we received were scratchy and accompanied by tons of frequency pops. We would love to be able to spend some time in here again some day. **You can view the photos from the Speakeasy on our "Evidence 101" page.




McMenamin’s Grand LodgeForest Grove, Oregon

Number of times investigated: Three Times  If you stay at the former Eastern Star Home now the McMenamin’s Grand Lodge, ask to see their Ghost Log. Guests and a few employees have a lot to say about the hauntings that go on here. The Children’s Cottage has been a particularly spirited location for us and chosen listeners of the former Nelson & Terry Show (love you and miss you guys) from The Buzz.  During our first visit with Nelson & Terry, Nelson decided to take a walk down one of the hallways toward a door that he claimed was open when we all went upstairs, but upon our return downstairs appeared to be closed. As I stood at the other end of the hallway watching him and hearing the song, “Anticipation” by Carly Simon tinkling in my head, Nelson carefully opened the door, stepped back a few paces, then turned on his heels and fled out the front door towards the parking lot. As we all met up with him a few minutes later, in between trembling drags off his cigarette he claimed that he heard unmistakable giggling like that of a little girl. In between puffs this former skeptic of the paranormal admitted that, “When I go home I have a lot of things to think about.”  We received a very cool large, pink orb outside of the Cottage before we left for the night. This was after Terry claimed to see someone moving past the windows upstairs, so Todd snapped a few pictures. We were all out in the parking lot; the door to the Cottage was locked then.


We received some very interesting EVP during our last visit in October, 2010. We received a voice saying, “So sorry,” after they scared one of the guests by actually turning the knob and opening the front door for them when they were headed outside. We also received two scratchy voices saying, “What’s in the bar?’ with the other voice answering, “Let’s check.” I love EVP’s like that.  If you are interested in taking a little ghost walk once upon a midnight dreary, focus on the Children’s Cottage, and guest rooms starting with 211 through 236. The Equinox Room, The Doctor’s Office Bar as well as the Compass Room have had reports of strange activity. When you are on the second floor traveling west, look for the life-sized painting of “The Lavender Lady.” A construction worker claims to have seen her cross this hallway during McMenamin’s renovation of the *ahem* uninhabited property. If you’re lucky you may just catch a drift of her lingering, lavender perfume. She is still seen on the second floor from time to time, and on occasion makes an appearance in the guest rooms. This place is great for a little romantic get-away. If the weather is fair, head out and play a little Disc-Golf. Grab a pint and head to the Compass Room for a movie. Take a long dip in the soaking tub. Eat a burger and grab some tots. Listen to some live music before searching the grounds for ghosts. Then go back and relax in your European-Style room. Just remember to bring a robe with you- like most of McMenamin’s properties the bathrooms are shared and located out in the hallways. Plus, you don’t want to scare any of the ghosts away (Okay, whatever… that was kinda funny).  If you ever get the chance, please stay the night at one of the McMenamin’s many historic properties. Whether the location is haunted or not, they have all been beautifully restored and these buildings are an important part of Oregon’s history.  We would like to take this opportunity to say, thank you McMenamin’s for breathing life back into local history, and for giving us the chance to experience all it has to offer.

 

Inside you would receive the most amazing EVP’s where they spoke so loud and so often that at times you could not tell where the living ended and the dead began.  The house has since been sold; Josie and Russ moving on to bigger and better things. As a footnote many other groups have asked me to tell them where this is.

I will not ever post the address of this home or any other residence, so please don’t ask me for this type of information. This is a private residence and that makes the address of the home (and any other homes!) confidential.  If the current owners ever need or want an investigator, they’ll contact the paranormal group of their choosing.

So in the meantime, let’s please let sleeping ghosts lie.    


Other notable places that almost made the list:  


Joe’s Cellar                           Portland, Oregon 


At Joe's Cellar with Northwest Author & Historian Jeff Davis

*Now a bar and restaurant – once an old brothel and men’s boarding house. Received clear and numerous EVP’s from both male & female voices that directly responded to our questions and presence as well as the recorded sounds from the old fire alarm that was dangling off the wall – mysteriously unwired. Watch out for the ghost-dachshund with the jingly collar that likes to terrorize the chef in the kitchen by running past him, yipping, and then jumps through the nearest solid wall. Owners and management are the sweetest people. Food is very good.    The Bijou Theatre                Eugene, Oregon  



*Used to be a mortuary. Investigated with our very first Ghost Hunting 101 class from Lane Community College. One of our students got a very clear and interesting apparition in the main theatre when no one else was there. Very cool and historical place.   The Spouting Horn              Depoe Bay, Oregon



 *During filming for “Ghosts of the Coast,” Jennifer and Jake from the Phantom Seekers received a mocking EVP of a crotchety old man’s voice who mimicked me after I said I “wasn’t going down there” when I saw him glaring at us at the other end of the hallway. This same old man decided to pick on Jake from the Phantom Seekers and it took both the other psychic and myself to get him to stop. Bathrooms are a trite creepy. Received an apparition of a lady dressed in 1900’s attire looking out of one of the upstairs windows when the restaurant was closed for the night.

Owners are wonderful people. Food and ambience is to die for. Lots of historical value here, plus you’re right at our beautiful Oregon Coast. Minutes away from Schooner Creek in Lincoln City where ghost ships have been seen.  Jake from the Phantom Seekers had to grudgingly admit after that first investigation that I really wasn’t full of s**t. Kiss Kiss- Love ya, bud.  Dammasch State Hospital (Closed)    Wilsonville, Oregon  




*Left recorder running in the section that used to house the “criminally insane” and received EVP’s of banging and yelling and sounds similar to gunshots. Also, an $80 camera battery was mysteriously stolen out of our camera bag in a locked room that we were carrying the only keys for. Photographed 2 apparitions at this location. Antique morgue table and a Corning-Ware Embalming Machine were discovered in the basement. Uber-Creepy place!

  McMenamin’s Edgefield     Troutdale, Oregon  

*Used to be a Poor Farm. Very clear (and humorous) EVP’s captured in the empty Administrators Building during our investigation with Nelson & Terry formerly of The Buzz. Caught a couple making love on the front porch of the Administrators Building during our investigation inside. Now, that’s comedy gold. *

Other Investigations

Over the years, Martina and Todd's specialty has been the investigation of private residences and businesses.
A sampling of some more of the locations we've investigated are:

Willard Library                      Evansville, IN
Area 51/Groom Lake              Rachel, NV
The Whaley House                San Diego, CA 
Klondike Restaurant & Bar      St. Helens, OR
McMenamins Chapel Pub         Portland, OR
McMenamins Edgefield           Troutdale, OR
McMenamins White Eagle       Portland, OR
McMenamins Grand Lodge       Forest Grove, OR
Rutherglen Mansion               Longview, WA
Capitol Theatre                     Olympia, WA
Tokeland Hotel                     Tokeland, WA
Old Regal Tigard Cinema        Washington Square Mall, Tigard, OR
13th Door Haunted House       Beaverton, OR
Scream at the Beach              Jantzen Beach, OR
Harmony House Restaurant     Clackamas, OR
The Brownsville Saloon           Brownsville, OR
The Bijou Theatre                  Eugene, OR
Cathedral Park                      Portland, OR
Joe's Cellar                          Portland, OR
Speakeasy Steakhouse          Independence, OR
Camp Adair                         Corvallis, OR
The Denali                          Privately owned Yacht 
Lenora's Ghost Tavern          Independence, OR
Fort Stevens/Battery Russell  Hammond, OR
Spouting Horn Restaurant      Depoe Bay, OR
Wildflower Cafe'                   Lincoln CIty, OR
Mission Mill Museum             Salem, OR
Silver Salmon Restaurant      Astoria, OR
Dammasch State Hospital     Wilsonville, OR

Private Residences in the following cities:

Oregon

Oregon City, Aumsville, Manzanita, Newport, Lincoln City, Silverton, Sublimity, West Linn, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Aloha, Eugene, Springfield, Milwaukie, Gladstone, Canby, Wilsonville, Hillsboro, North Plains, Newberg, Portland (NW, SW, and SE).

Washington

Vancouver, Ridgefield, Battle Ground, Poulsbo, Seattle.

Cemeteries

Not listing due to increased vandalism. 

 

Contact Us!!! 

**PLEASE NOTE- we are not taking on unsolicitated investigations at this time.

Private residences are done on a referral basis ONLY.

Thank you!!!!