In the early 1900’s, a stranger named Edmund Creffield arrived in Corvallis, Oregon. Shortly after, he formed a congregation he called the “Brides of Christ Church,” and convinced dozens of wealthy women to leave their families behind to join him. Creffield promised eternal salvation, but instead created one of the most notorious cults in Oregon history. His charisma and charm led to adultery, scandal, suicide and murder.

A magazine article published in the late 1800’s told the story of a young girl who died mysteriously in an abandoned lighthouse on the Oregon coast. For years, the story kept the lighthouse in the spotlight enough so that it saved the structure from being demolished. But to this day, people still wonder: was the story a work of fiction, or based on true events?

In 1897, a group of men hatched a plan to rob the grave of a prominent and wealthy Portland businessman, who had died several years prior. The graverobbers hoped to hold the corpse for ransom, but some unfortunate missteps foiled their plans to strike it rich.

On his last day as mayor in 1920, Grover Percival went for his usual morning walk around town. But he never returned. Instead, his body was found hanging from a tree weeks later. His ghost is now rumored to haunt the very bridge he walked across to his doom.

Edward Gallagher was the first man to be legally hanged in Clark County, Washington, as punishment for the murder of a local farmer. Townspeople purchased tickets to watch Gallagher’s execution, which was dubbed the “Hanging Holiday of 1890.”

In 1854, Charity Lamb killed her husband with an ax. She became the first woman to go on trial for murder in the Oregon Territory, and the first female prison inmate.

Explore legends, lore and the dark side of history in this six-part series from KGW and VAULT Studios. Listen weekly beginning October 26.