By: Aaliyah Medawar
Autumn has descended upon California. Though we are, at present, lacking any blustering breezes or the tell-tale orange hue of leaves, we are no less in the grip of the fall season. And with the arrival of the equinox, comes plenty of supernatural celebrations. Be it remembering
deceased loved ones with offerings and parties during Dios de Los Muertos, or following the Halloween traditions of wearing costumes and carving pumpkins to frighten off evil spirits, there is no shortage of phantasmic festivities during this time of fun and frights.
But what about the places that are said to have year-round visitors from beyond the grave? One does not need to venture to lands far beyond our borders to see the world of bogeymen and specters, for haunting sights can be found right here in California! So let those crypt doors creak and spirits quake, as you explore the bone-chilling world of the occult, the otherworldly, and the obscure. Just be sure to pay the ferryman for your travels.
We begin in San Jose. There lies a manor of monumental portions with staircases that lead nowhere and doors that can send one plummeting from the second floor down to the pavement. The Winchester Mystery House was constructed by one Sarah Winchester, who worked on renovating it from 1884 until her death in 1922. As her husband owned the Winchester rifle company, Sarah felt incredible guilt over those slain by her family’s firearms. Turning to the Victorian ideal of occultism Sarah was said to have built the manor to protect herself and her family from the wrath of vengeful spirits and used a seance room to contact those from beyond the grave. However, many say the spirits that do lurk there are actually quite friendly, for most of them are simply the staff of Sarah, who treated them like family.
The wheelbarrow ghost, said to pass through the basement, is rumored to be the spirit of a man who worked with the coal used to heat the house. There are even reports of a worker who goes by the name of Clyde patrolling the grounds. But the most mysterious figure in the mansion is one with no name- the shadowy figure who lurks in the windows, staring out at guests before simply vanishing, though some theorize this to be Sarah herself.
In the depths of the house, wherein the wheelbarrow man roams, is where most of the activity is said to arise. Tugging of clothes, jabs from invisible hands, and more plague those who venture down the stairs. There are even sightings of the lollipops given out by tour guides as a way for the spirits to ‘influence objects,’ tilting in the palms of their owner’s hands or simply flying out away from them.
If one ventures to San Jose, be sure to also stop by the Delta King, a steamship turned hotel that is rumored to house the spirit of a young girl, murdered on board by a crew member. She is best spotted through the bare footprints she leaves on deck, though they are best seen in the early morning when nobody else is nearby.
Nearby in Ione, California, is the Preston School of Industry, better known as Preston Castle. Television's own Zak Bagans and his crew on
Ghost Adventures have visited this place, as have I, though staff reported that he “riled up the spirits” and often “changed the script without consulting them.”
Regardless of their influence, however, this place certainly houses a dark presence, be it spirits or not. This boy’s reformatory is said to have been more of a prison sentence for young men from the 1890s to the 1960s before it was reopened as a tourist attraction. Juvenile delinquents from San Quentin State Prison were sentenced to stay here and underwent unfathomable torture. Superintendent O’Brien, one of the many heads of the school in the early stages of its construction, was said to have beaten a student with a cane so severely it broke, only for him to seize a pole and continue the assault.
“The Tyrant” as he was called even fought a sixteen-year-old boy, cutting his face and then threatening to shoot him if he told anyone what happened. He even covered up the death of a young man, Nick Hamilton, who tried to escape and was brutalized by O’Brien, and then six months later claimed he died of “pulmonary tuberculosis.” There is no proof of whether or not it is true, and many more stories of security guards abusing or even killing wards were reported. But it is not just O’Brien who made this ‘castle’ a house of Hell.
In 1950, Anna Corbin, the head housekeeper, who is said to now haunt the halls of this place, was brutally beaten to death in the basement. A young man named Eugene Monroe, one of the few African-American students on campus who was sent to campus for violent crime, was indicted for her murder, but due to a lack of evidence he was released. Until the day he died he swore he did not kill Corbin, as she was kind to him, even though he was more than willing to admit he committed the rest of the crimes he was arrested for. Corbin’s killer was never found. Along with the twenty-three graves on sight, there is abuse, murder, racism, and a haunting presence that alerts high-powered electrical frequency detectors- even on something as mundane as a chair in one of the many hallways. Along with the twenty-three graves on sight, there is abuse, murder, racism, and a haunting presence that alerts high-powered electrical frequency detectors- even on something as mundane as a chair in one of the many hallways.
As someone who has visited this location, I can safely say if it is not haunted, then it is at the very least dark. Beyond its legends as a house of haunted horrors, this place was full of nothing but misery, power, and hatred. Whether or not one believes in ghosts, if you decide to visit Preston Castle, be respectful to the souls who suffered in the walls of that place.
Further south, is Long Beach, and there lies a vessel of similar disposition to the Delta King. The RMS Queen Mary was a British ocean liner that has since become a hotel tourist attraction complete with a museum and restaurants. But sitting with the diners and vacationing guests are legends of spirits, more than simply that of her moniker, the Grey Ghost, which was given to her because of her hull’s color. This ship is known as one of the most haunted boats in the world, and for good reason too. Jaqueline Torin, a young girl who drowned in the first-class pool is rumored to try and play games with guests, even leaving wet footprints around the edge when the pool has been closed and causing disembodied voices
Joining her are the likes of John Pedder, an 18-year-old sailor from the 1960s who was crushed by a door in the engine room. Rumor has it that passengers can still hear him whistle or ask for his wrench. There are even women said to be in the Queen’s salon, with the most notable being a young woman named Dana. But not all the spirits have such innocent motivations. Stateroom B340 is a hub of paranormal activity according to various members of staff. Once called B226, this room has housed many deaths, including the demise of the writer Walter J Adamson in 1948 and the dismemberment of a man, who had murdered two women aboard the vessel, when nobody had been in the room with him. A woman from around the same era, the 1960s, is said to have slept there, only to find a ghostly man standing at the edge of her bed and her covers ripped off. While this room has become one of the ship’s many attractions, tales of the murder still linger, and many report feelings of unease or discomfort when staying. While this room has become one of the ship’s many attractions, tales of the murder still linger, and many report feelings of unease or discomfort when staying, as well as cases of faucets and lights turning on by themselves or seeing that same strange shadow lurking nearby. Tours still go on in this mighty blood-soaked vessel, with passengers being given the opportunity to try and communicate with those from beyond the grave.
Only an hour away from this mighty ship, however, is another haunted hotel. The Cecil Hotel, now called The Stay on Main, of Los Angeles is a relic of the 1920s, and is reported to be the residence of at least two serial killers as well as a place boasting a large number of deaths. Elisa Lam’s body was found in the water tank on the roof of this place in 2013, a result of an accidental drowning, which many say was brought on by her stopping her medications for bipolar and depression. But the tragedy of this young lady is only one of many.
Three years after it opened came the first death. Percy Cook committed suicide by gunshot after a separation occurred between himself, his wife, and his family. But he was only the first domino in a long line of suffering. The poisoning of W.K Norton came next in 1931, though people are unsure if it was a suicide. What is known however is that he checked in under the false name of James Willys. After him was Benjamin Dodich in 1932, who too shot himself, though he had no suicide note. Sergeant Louis Borden in 1934 was next, he took his own life as well, though with a razor, not a gun, and claimed his poor health was the cause. Grace Magro fell from the building in 1937 and survived until she reached the hospital due to telephone wires breaking her fall. Afterwards followed three more suicides, Roy Thompson, Erwin Neblett, and Dorothy Seger in the years of 1938, 1939, and 1940. While Thompson fell from a window, Neblett and Seger were said to have been poisoned, though Neblett’s suicide is alleged.
Then, Dorothy Jean Purcell was said to have thrown her baby from the window in 1944, though she was acquitted by reason of insanity. Four more falls occurred, from 1947 to 1962, their names were Robert Smith, Helen Gurnee, Julia Moore, and then the dual deaths of Pauline Otton and George Gianinni, whose hands were in his pockets and whose shoes were still on- meaning he did not jump willingly. Then, in 1964, was the rape and murder of “Pigeon Goldie” Osgood, whose death still remains unsolved. Her alleged killer, Jacques Ehlinger was spotted in bloodstained clothes, but he was cleared.
For a while, there were no deaths at Cecil, until 1975 when an unidentified woman, who checked in under the false name of Alison Lowell, fell from the building. In 1992 a similar situation happened, wherein the John Doe body of a young African-American man was said to have been found. People do not know if he jumped or was pushed from the 15th floor. After Elisa Lam in 2013, there was one final death one that marked the end of the long streak of death. In 2015 a twenty-eight-year-old man was found dead from a fall, though whether it was a suicide is still unknown. Since then, there have been no more deaths. But whether or not you believe in spirits, be respectful to those who died in this place, and if you or someone you love is suffering, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Your life is worth living.
If one travels further south to San Diego, they can find themselves in El Campo Santo Cemetery, near the also haunted Whaley House. 477 of the original graves still stand, while many were simply paved over or relocated due to the streetcar line that was put in place straight through the cemetery. Since then, the place is said to be plagued by poltergeists, mischievous spirits who are said to set off car alarms, turn lights on and off, and cause disturbances with electric appliances. There are even sightings of a man named Jim Robinson, or Yankee Jim, who was hanged on the Whaley House property for stealing horses in 1852.
That house also has reported sightings of its former owners, Thomas, Anna, and Violet Whaley. Many say they can feel someone staring at them as they walk through the Whaley home, while others report being touched by phantom hands or even feeling sudden cold spots. San Diego itself is full of haunted attractions, including the famous Hotel del Coronado, which is said to be the home of one Kate Morgan, who died under mysterious circumstances, as nobody knows whether her death by gunshot was suicide or murder, in the building. There is also the Horton Grand Hotel, where a gambler named Roger Whitaker had his last stand against his debtors. There he was shot to death, and in his place he left disembodied sounds of poker chips and playing cards, flickering lights, and a lingering presence, complete with a shaking bed, moving objects, and an armoire that opens and closes at random, in the area he died in: room 309.
Right in our own backyard, is Lake Arrowhead, a city in the mountains that is rife with paranormal activity. Bracken Fern Manor and Tudor House, two neighboring buildings, are prime examples of this, as they once were home to mobster activity in the 1920s.
That is not even touching upon the tunnels underneath the nearby lake, which, if not haunted, are at the very least terrifying. Plus, in Crestline, there have been rumors of a cult lurking in the forests, inhabiting a place colloquially known as Satan’s Castle. Many deny the existence of such a place, though plenty of people from Crestline do say that the forests are at the very least unnerving or in possession of a dark history, including murder.
But there is a place in Lake Arrowhead that many claim is full of paranormal activity: The Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa. Even the general manager, who I know personally to be a skeptic at best and a denier at worst, agrees that “this place is creepy at night.” On the lower floors, guests report a “feeling of being watched,” while others say the spa and the athletics room are some of the most active places in the hotel for spirits. Whether it is the woman who is rumored to have died in the steam room or the shadow figures and orbs that wander the recreation area, those locations are said to even “creep out” staff who have worked there for years. At night, security guards have even reported phantom figures roaming the halls or appearing on security cameras- but not in person. Former management have even gone on record saying that they do not like to be working alone at night, simply because of all the paranormal activity they have experienced on the property.
Whether it is the woman who is rumored to have died in the steam room or the shadow figures and orbs that wander the recreation area, those locations are said to even “creep out” staff who have worked there for years. At night, security guards have even reported phantom figures roaming the halls or appearing on security cameras- but not in person. Former management have even gone on record saying that they do not like to be working alone at night, simply because of all the paranormal activity they have experienced on the property.
In nearby Redlands, however, there are even more reports of spirits, as it is known as one of the most haunted towns in America. Be it the Mariposa Elementary School, which is said to be haunted by the spirit of a boy named Billy, who was hit by a bus in the 1950s, or Prospect Park, which too was said to be the gathering place of Satanic worshippers, there can be no denying that Redlands has its fair share of
death. Morey Mansion has illness and suicide in its walls, the Kimberly Crest has its last owner, Mary Kimberly Shirk, rumored to be wandering the halls, and even the Fox Theater has tales of a violent spirit inhabiting its rooms.
But these are not the only buildings that are said to be influenced by those beyond the grave. Two houses sit near each other. One is known as the House of 1,000 Stairs, a former convent turned mansion by the name of Burrage, this place is said to have spectral nuns on property. The other is less innocently-named House of Satanic Rituals, wherein people were said to have been trapped inside with a one-way door, killed as a result of a ‘ceremony.’ The Hillside Cemetery, built in the late 1800s, has its fair share of ghost stories too, being one of the oldest cemeteries in the area, though they are nowhere near as malicious as the aforesaid house.
If anything, visitors are simply treated with a degree of mischief as ghosts are said to be fond of honking car horns, flashing lights, and throwing balls back at people if they cast them over the fence. Even college campuses have had their time with the paranormal, for the University of Redlands’ own Anderson Hall, which was rumored to be a hospital in the past, and the Glenn Wallichs Theatre are said to be crawling with paranormal activity. In the latter, a woman named the White Lady is said to be a proper diva, as she tears costumes from off the rack, causes lights to blink, and even lurks above the stage curtain, watching performances. Many claim she is the spirit of a student actress who died on the way to a show because of a car accident.
Regardless if the supernatural interests you, the history of California is certainly worth the exploration. Though it can be dark and ugly, it can also be one that inspires people to appreciate life, as so many others never got the chance to. This autumn season, be sure to take the time to remember the dead and all that came before you, because if you don’t, you may just get a visit from a grim, grinning ghost.
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