Haunting Of The Cental Coast

"The spirits of the dead who stood in life before thee are again in dead around thee and their will shall then overshadow thee: be still"

(Edgar Allan Joe)

Every story has an ending,or does it?The Central Coast is alive with ghostly tales of tortured spirits from years past; but when you live in a place as rich with history as ours, its easy for facts to become folklore. So open your eyes and ears these 13 chilling stories may just give you a glimppse into our areas afterlife. At the very least, they will give you a few goose bumps.

1. THE LADY IN WHITE

ADELINA CEMETRERY, Paso Robles, California

Amid the cracked cemetery stones and raggedy wooden headboards in the desolate Adelaida Cemetery is an unremarkable, yet unavoidable, tombstone located beneath a large oak tree that belongs to a Mrs. Charlotte M. Sitton. The graveside is not particularly eye catching , not strikingly recognizable, but it is the burial site for unusual and inexplicable phenomenon.

Charlotte Sitton was a member of the Mennonite community and lived in the town of Adelaida during the 1800's a time when the ill defined territory, located just 10 miles west of Paso Robles, was a bustling district with a population of nearly 700. Unfortunately, the diphtheria epidemic that took hold of the United States and Europe during this time claimed the life of her two young children, who were no more then five years of age. With the loss of her beloved family weighing heavily upon her, the despondent mother sank into a deep depression and took her own life at the early age of 19. She was laid to rest next to the graves of her children, but the unsettled spirit is by no means at peace.

Since her death in December of 1890, the tombstone of Charlotte Sitton has been an electric hub of paranormal activity "a woman in white" is the most commonly reported sighting at this unfortunate location and many has seen the ghost oof what appears to be a woman wearing a long white nightgown hovering over the burial grounds of Mrs. Sitton and her children between the hoursof 8 pm and midnight. The ghost woman visits the site and has on occasion, been seen laying flowers on the two tiny graves next to Charlotte's tombstone. Over the years, many have made their ways to the isolated area in an attempt to get glimpse of the mysterious figure.

2. HECTOR THE HOAXER

THE BIG YELLOW HOUSE, Summerland, California

Founded by a group of spiritualists, the little town of Summerland was once known as "Spookyville" to locals during the 19th century. The community was established as a place where the spirittualists could practice their faith without judgement and seances were once held in this historic home belonging to the Henry Lafayette Williams. Now a well know and recognizable restaurant off high way 101 visitors and employees at the big yellow house have claimed to experience harmless, yet haunting, incidents such as windows openning and closing,lights flickering, and even dishes smashing. Locals and staff members have come to attribute the prunks to a ghost they call Hector.

3.SPOOK U

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHANNEL ISLAND, Camarillo

Wandering through the long, narrow hallways and vacant corridors on the campus of the University Channel Islands, you can not ignore the irking sense of being watched. The renovate campus has done its best to silence the chilling tales fromits alarming past, but frightening happenings continues to surface.

Before its new incarnation as an academic institution, the campus served as an asylum for the mentally disturbed. The first 50 male patients arrived at the psychiatric ward in 1933, and over the next 63 years, the hospital continued toexpand accepting more patients and traeting an increasing of mental illnesses.

Though the facility was acclaimed for its size and progressive practices, it did not escape controversy. Rumors of resident abuse and neglect escaped from the hospital's iron gates. Stories of warden conducting secret experiments on patients also surfaced; perhaps in part, due to the fact that the institution performed lobotomies. Some psychatric technicians at thehospital became patient themselves, and the hospital's drugs rehab center is believetobe the basis for the Eagles song"Hotel California".

Today, students have reported strange sounds and peculiar sightings particulary near the old bell tower. Here, a number of different entities are reported to roam but the most persistent is that of a confused woman wandering the premises asking for direction to the chapel. Parking lot A is also a frequent spot for phantom sighting a whirling figure can be seen spining around and around the street lamp untill someone approaches, and he abruply vanishes. Sounds of laughing interrupted by fits of sobbing drift from the former children's section, and a man standing on the balcony of a building near the bus stop urges passersby for help, yet there is no emergency.

4.WILLIAMSBURG OF THE WEST

LA PURISIMA STATE HISTORIS PARK, Lompoc, California

The bloody gruesome battle of 1824 that took place at this restored Spainish Mission has earned La Purisima the reputation of being the most haunted mission in California. Monks are seen roaming the halls and the chapel Spainish soldiers and Native Americans have been spotted on the ground and strange voice and music often emanate from the weaving room. The ghost of a Spainish Padre wearing small glasses and in a white nightgown is frequently seen, and was described by a park ranger as resembling " a cross dressing Ben Franklin."

5. THE DARK LADY

OLIVAS ADOBE, Ventura ,California

This historic two story hacienda once belongs to the wealthy Olivas family during the Gold Rush and is now an open museum that, many say, is a site for observing much more than old knick-knacks and antique relics. Don Raymoundo Olivas built the adobe in 1847 after he was granted the property for his service as a calvaryman in the Mexican Army. The building served as the main house of the vast Rancho San Miguel, and here Raymound built a career as successful cattle rancher and was believed to posess $75,000 in gold coins. The impressive estate reflected the Olivas family fortune, and it was no secret that Raymoundo, his wife Teodora, and their 21 children were living the good life.

However, in 1855 a group of envious banditsraided the rancho plundering an estimated $30,000 in gold. The vicious robber seven went so far as to rip gold earring right out of Teodora's ears before making their escape. The outlaws shot at several family members as they took off and end up wounding one of the boys,Nicholas. Although no one was killed during the terrifying braek in the distressing even is often blamed for the unrest of troubled spiritsthat continued to haunted the Olivas house.

The figure of a woman wearing a 19th century black dress is the most commonly reported apprition and is believed to be the soul of Teodora, who died from pheumonia at age 82. She is often wandering throughh the master bedroom, the children's room, and the chapel. Some argue that the spirit belongs to Dominga Olivas who died on Holloween night in the 1890 in the living room while giving birth. Others who have seen her, such a senate, believed it is the ghost of the youngest Olivas children,Rebeca due to the strongphysical resemblance. Regardless, "The Dark Lady" is a persistent legend that continues to shroud old adobe.

6. THE DELINQUENT DOCTOR

THE STOKES ADOBE, Monterey California

Before it was remodeled into a restaurant in bar in 1950, the stokes adobe was home to an Engish seaman by the name of James Stokes. He bought the resident in 1834 and set up shop as a doctor though he had very limited medical skills or experience, and many of his patients end up dead. Afterbeing caught in a family scandal by his two sons, the pony physician drank poison and died in the adobe> His ghost is seen walking the house at night wearing a white lab coat.

7. THE WEARY WIDOW

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON HOUSE, Monterey California

The brisk ofshore air and misty cloud cover the Monterey Penisula provided more than enough inspiration for iconic literary figure Robert Louis Stevenson while working on various writing project at this former lodging house. Known during that timeas the French Hotel, the famed author rented a room for a few months in 1879 while recaperating from a sickness. Though Stevenson made asuccessful recovery during his stay, the owner Mrs Manuel Giradin,was not so fortunate.

An epidemic of Scarlett Fever struck the community, taking the life of Mrs. Giradin's husband and afflicting her young children. For days and nights on end,the determined mother nursed her dying children to sleep. Butthe weary widow could not sustain her strength and she, too fell ill. Mrs. Giradin jioned all but two of her children in death and her ghost now haunts the nursery. An old emty rocking chair sways back and forth by an unseen presense and many have smaelled the distinctive aroma of carbolic acid, a 19th century disinfectant. A woman in a long black dress has been spottedboth in the nursery and walking the halls by visitors and the museum's adminsitrative assistance, Barbara Brown.

8. ALICE OF THE INN

RSE VICTORIAN INN,Arroyo Grande

The tower room of thhis pink three story Victorian house is said to be haunted by a little girl named Alice. Those who visit the former inn have seen the image of a girl in pigtail's wearing a long dress and a small apron and her laughter is often heard emanating fromthe nursery. Though the cause of her death is still a mystery one medium reported that Alic died of pneumonia while other claimshe died after suffering from an alergic reaction to a bee sting.

9.THE HEADLESS HORSEWOMAN

MISSION SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA, Jolon

This secluded Spainish mission located in the Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation near Kings City is said to be the most well preserved of all the Californian missions.Hidden in the shadows of the Santa Lucia Mountains,MissionSan Antonion De Padua retaiins its authentic appearance and allegedly many of its original occupants as well.

The historic site was the setting for a love story that ended in a violent and terrifying tragedy. According to legend, in the late 1800's a Native American woman nusred a dying Yankee miner back to health. The two fell in love, were married, and moved to a nearby ffarm. However,"the call of the gold fields was too graet" Senate says, and the man returned to the mines, promising his wife he would come back in one month. Nearly four months passed before the Yankee arrived home, and when he did, he found his spouse with another man. The enraged husband went on a killing rampage grabbing an ax and viciously murdering the other man before decapitating his wife. The Native American believes that the soul can not rest if part of the body is missing and knowing this, the man took his wife head with him. Now the terrorized woman is seen riding the road to the mission on summer night in search of of her head. Even military personnel at Fort Hunter Liggett claim to have seen the headless horsewoman and some have chased the ethereal figure at speeds of 50 miles per hour

10. CHAR-MAN

CREEK ROAD, Ojai Valley

Although this haunted high way is the setting for a number of ghost stories the most well know is that "Char-Man" A group of teenagers set fire to man's house sometimes near the 1950's and he burned to death. Now his scorched figure is seen wandering this desolate road late at night seeking revange. Students at Nordoff High School in Ojai are no doubt accustomed to the legend of Cha-Man as many has witnessed the hideous phantom or smelled the putrid aroma of burning flesh as they drive along the road at night.

11. THE CAPTAIN

THE SANTA MARIA INN, Santa Maria

In the glorious day of Hollywood's golden years, hot shots and celebrity socialites making the journey fro LA to Williams Ranchdolph Hearst's castle in San Simmeon frequented this half way point hotel. Built by Frank J.Mccoy in 1917 the Santa Maria Inn became afavorite stoppingpoint for statesmen and movie stars such as actor Rudolph Valentino.

Perhaps a less recognizable mane, but more persistent visitor,is that of nameless ghost who has come to be known as "The Captain" the retired army captain lived at the inn for years after the passing of his wife.

Hotel management and guests have reported sighting of the old veteran throughout the building but he is perhpas most present in room 221 where is aura is seen floating at the end of the bed. A gardenerwas once starled when he witnssed the captain standing on one of the outside landing of his stair. Visibly pale and shaken. Other Unexplainable evens such as doors slamming shut, "I just saw the captain"footprints and the sounds of a piano playing are said tooccur.

12. POLTERGIEST PARK

MT.MADONNA STATE PARK, Gilroy

The park contains the ruins of a large manson that once belonged to successful rancher Henry Millerwho used to residence as his summer home. One day Miller's youngest Daughter Sarah Alice was thrown from her horse after its accidentally stepped into a squirrel hole. The little girl broke her neck and was killed. Her ghost haunted the park and is sometimes seen as the image of a strolling woman.

13. THE MISSION MASSACRE

MISSION SAN MIGUEL, San Miguel

After purchasing the San Miguel Mission from the Mexican government, Englishamn John Reed transformed the church into a saloon and inn and accrued a rather impressive fortune. The affluent innkeeper was known for frequently boasting of his wealth toguests and one night in 1848 a groupof nine English pirates check intothe hotel and Reed in his uasual maner bragged of his buried treasures> The groupof greedy rogues went on a killing pampage in search of the gold murdering everyone in the mission and torturing Reed's wife. Today cold spots are often reported throghout the mission andmany viisitors have reported seeing appritions and having vision of blood in the rooms where victimswere brutually mutilated.

 

Oh....such a scary story never heard about that especially "The Headless Horse woman" its made my feels goose bumps you know we used to go hunting at Fort Hunter Liggett during the deer season and somtimes in the mid October for squirrels.Usually we get there about 05:30am before sunrise to get ready for hunt in the morning and spent the rest of the day sourrounding the mountaintop down to the creeks below in searching for animals.My uncle he's on his own down to the stream nearby approximately 300 yards from the parking spot (at the top of the mountain) at that time it was still dark and he use his flesh light that take him through the dense oak forest. Suddenly,he approach an object describe as a white balloon like but its seems big and look pretty much like a nightgown was floating ahead of him about 10-15 yeards. He chased that object down the hill for about 5 minutes and it was vanish, follow by a voice of a woman laughing from distance across from mountain side, he feels goose bumps, hairs are straight up all he fired several shot from his rifle and run back quickly to truck and call us in the walkie-talkie and demand us to go home right away, during the way back home, he reveal this story to us (the place that we went hunt is the mission de padua same road same mountain as you described above)