California's Haunted Central Coast

Evie Ybarra

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781439665473
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Eerie haunts and stories of apparitions stretch along the California coast from Monterey Bay to the Channel Islands. James Dean's presence lingers at the site of his deadly car crash on Highway 46, and a ghost-in-residence presides over the Robert Louis Stevenson house in Monterey. Learn of the ghoulish murders of the Reed family at the San Miguel Mission, the mysterious spirits that haunt the Hearst Castle and the twisted tales of strange occurrences in what was once the Camarillo State Hospital. Join author Evie Ybarra as she explores the unexplained along this infamous coast.

GHOSTS OF OTHER LANDMARKS
FROM VENTURA TO MONTEREY

CITY HALL IN VENTURA

The majestic statue of Father Serra stands in front of the Buenaventura City Hall, which houses the departments where the City of Ventura conducts business. Perched on a hillside overlooking California Street, one has a view of the city all the way to the ocean. This building served as the Ventura County Courthouse, the Sheriff’s Office and the jail. It was designed by architect Albert C. Martin and built in 1912.

The sensational trial of Elizabeth “Ma” Duncan was held here in 1958. She was accused of hiring two thugs to murder her pregnant daughter-in-law, Olga Kupczyk. After they committed the deed, they dumped her body near Ojai. Before “Ma” Duncan hired the men to kill her family member, she hired a man to impersonate her son while she dressed up as Olga at an annulment hearing. She was quite determined to end her son’s marriage. During the trial, her son, Frank Duncan, an attorney in Santa Barbara, helped to defend her. Frank’s behavior was just as bizarre as the details of the crime because during the trial, he remarried. “Ma” Duncan was found guilty, and the two hitmen were also brought to justice. “Ma” Duncan was the last woman to be executed in the state of California, dying in the gas chamber in San Quentin.

Many claim that her ghost still resides in the former courtroom at Ventura City Hall. Ventura City Council meetings are held there, along with numerous other functions. Sometimes an unexplained knock will come from the corner of the room, and at other times a knock can be heard coming from the outer wall. Her ghost has been seen pacing the hallway closest to this former courtroom, and it is thought to be “Ma” Duncan.

The well-known statue of Saint Junípero Serra in front of the Ventura City Hall, which used to be the courthouse; a women’s jail was housed on the third floor. Courtesy of Laura Dickinson.

Ventura City Hall sits overlooking the city of San Buenaventura. Courtesy of Laura Dickinson.

The third floor of this building housed the women’s jail, and today the space is used for storage. Several employees have encountered the ghost of the woman that haunts the jail to this day. Local lore says that the woman hanged herself in her jail cell. According to the story, she missed her children, who could not come to see her or pay her a visit, and she became despondent and depressed. A guard found her body, but she was already dead. This woman is an active spirit at Ventura City Hall, but there are others.

ELIZABETH BARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

The ghost of Dr. Cephas Bard has been seen and heard many times by those who rent office space in this building, which was named for Elizabeth Bard. Thomas R. Bard and his brother, Dr. Cephas Little Bard, established the hospital as a memorial to their mother, Elizabeth Bard. Dr. Cephas Bard is considered the first physician in Ventura County, and he is the first patient to have died in the Bard Hospital. This building is Historic Landmark No. 19 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The Los Angeles Conservancy holds a conservation easement protecting the hospital’s façade.

A young Ventura woman recalled a story her mother used to tell her. A long time ago, in the 1930s, this woman’s mother and her siblings were taken to the Bard Hospital because there was a small orphanage next to it. They were three children in all—two girls and the toddler, a boy. Their mother had lost her way for a while, and the State of California stepped in, after which they became wards of the state. They lived in the orphanage for almost six months, and then they could return to their mother. Two of them walked to the local school nearby—known as the May Henning School, at 100 East Santa Clara Street—while the youngest remained and played with the other children.

One night, the middle child, the little girl, woke up her older sister and told her that she had seen a ghost. She was afraid and shaking. The older sister told her that she was having bad dreams, but she could climb into bed with her and would not be scared anymore. At night, it is an eerie place. The light and shadows surrounding the backside of the building. Although it has a commanding view of the city and the ocean, one has a sense of foreboding when walking up there at night. Perhaps the restless spirits linger because they died within the hospital walls and the surrounding area. It could be that they have not crossed over. Many Chumash lived all along the Ventura hillsides, as they were part of the Mission San Buenaventura population in the early 1800s.

The Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital building, which now houses offices. Courtesy of Laura Dickinson.

The following night, the two girls decided to just sleep together so as not to be woken up in the middle of the night by a nightmare. Then, in the early hours of the morning, something stirred them. They both felt something or someone touching their hair and pulling on it. The older one shot up and jumped out of bed. She found the light switch, and as soon as she turned on the light, she heard a deep growl and then silence. Both girls ran down the hall to their caregiver’s room and woke her. Terror was written all over their faces. The younger sister explained that she had seen a monster and it had pulled at her hair when she was asleep. After investigating this incident, the caregiver allowed the girls to sleep with the lights on for the remainder of their stay in this orphanage. The creature did not visit them again.

One of the secretaries who worked in a downstairs office in the Bard Hospital Building was working late one evening. She suddenly smelled the thick aroma of cigar smoke and tobacco. When she looked up, she saw the apparition of a man wearing a white coat, and he had a stethoscope around his neck. Could this be Dr. Bard? She watched him as he walked out of the room and disappeared down the hallway. Others have seen his apparition in various areas of the Bard Hospital Building.

BELLA MAGGIORE INN

One of the most haunted locations in Ventura, California, is the Bella Maggiore Inn on California Street in downtown Ventura. This seaside community boasts many hauntings and haunted locales, but a favorite resides at the inn. In the 1940s, a “lady of the night” by the name of Sylvia Michaels entertained her clients at the Bella Maggiore Inn, and one morning, Sylvia was found hanging in her room, no. 17. Many guests who stay at the inn have encountered Sylvia. If a man stays in room 17, she has been known to knock on the door, and when the guest opens it, he may see her apparition or he may be hit with a strong scent of her rose perfume.

Lisa, a frequent guest of the Bella Maggiore Inn, says that she stays there regularly when she is in town on business. One night, after she hosted her parents and some friends for dinner at the Italian restaurant across the street from the inn, she decided to retire early since she had a series of meetings to attend the following day. Lisa was making her way up the stairs and down the hallway to her room when she was greeted by a strong whiff of perfume. It really was overpowering. After making her way inside, she dropped into a cozy chair in front of the fireplace. Once she showered, she knew she could relax by the fire and read a new mystery thriller she had brought with her. After calling her husband and daughters at home, she relaxed with her book. The night was still and quiet. The moon was full, and when she looked out the window, the view of the Pacific Ocean shimmered like silver silk hugging the earth. Her reverie was interrupted by something standing next to her. Her peripheral vision caught a shock of a blue dress or something made with that color. It was suddenly cold, and she shivered with fear. Even her robe was not enough to keep her warm. She grabbed her cellphone and room key and ran down to the front desk. The attendant read the fear on her face and he asked her, “Did you meet Sylvia?…Yes, of course you did.”

He offered Lisa a cup of hot tea and sat her down near the fireplace where she could keep warm. He proceeded to recount the various guests who had met Sylvia—some met her in their rooms, others saw her apparition while others still only caught a whiff of her perfume. He walked her back upstairs, and the scent of rose perfume was so heavy in the air that other guests walking down the hallway stopped and remarked that they smelled the perfume as well. Each shared his or her version of Sylvia’s ghost. They walked the guest back inside her room; she had calmed down by then. After everyone left, she left the lights on, turned off the fireplace and slept on the couch. She did not want to be alone in the bedroom that night. She has since returned to the Bella Maggiore Inn and stayed in a different room, and in the middle of the night, she was awakened by something or someone tugging at her feet through the blankets.

She sat up in bed and saw an outline of a person, a dark shadow just standing at the foot of the bed. After she reached for the lamp and flooded the room with light, the shadow person disappeared. She checked the bathroom and closets—all were empty. This time, she slept with all the lights on and decided that she had had enough fear and encountering spirits for a while. Lisa has not had to return to Ventura in nearly a year, but perhaps she will find lodging elsewhere—or she may just keep the lights on all day and all night.

THE TAVERN (FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE BIG GREEN HOUSE OR THE CARLO HAHN HOUSE)

The Tavern is a favorite haunt of many locals in the Ventura area. “Rosa” is the apparition seen by guests in the upstairs powder room. The scent of lavender permeates the air when there is a sighting. She was waiting for the love of her life to return from his duty at sea, but he never returned. She was so despondent that she hanged herself. Some patrons have seen her image in the mirror, and others have seen her apparition materialize before them only to disappear within seconds. The usual manifestations occur to let you know that you are not alone. The bartender has witnessed glasses moving by themselves and various empty chairs moving on their own. The lights turn on and off late at night, usually around closing time.

OLIVAS ADOBE

The Olivas Adobe is a lovely place to visit, and at night, you will be accompanied by several resident spirits. The ghost of Maria Olivas is often seen upstairs and also in the garden. Disembodied voices are heard along with children’s laughter. The sounds of footsteps are distinguishable inside the adobe when there is no one else there. It is truly a haunted historic place.

WALMART STORE IN OXNARD

The ghost of a little girl who is about seven or eight has been seen playing in the aisles at this Walmart store. She has been described as wearing a blue dress and having pigtails. Her favorited play area is the toy department, and balls have been seen bouncing on their own and other items are taken off the shelves by an unseen force. She talks to the employees, and it is known that she giggle and laughs. Many have heard the disembodied laughter and her footsteps as she runs through the toy aisles.

SANTA CLARA HIGH SCHOOL

Ghosts have been seen roaming through the halls late at night. Witnesses have seen hooded figures floating down the corridors. Sounds of a basketball are heard inside the gym late at night. Locker doors are heard opening and closing, and lights turn themselves on and off. Other manifestations include voices emanating from what is now an old chapel that is no longer used.

VENTURA HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

Young adults haunt the school theater, and the mist of a young man has been seen manifesting at various times throughout the year. The theater is used for plays and music productions throughout the year for school and community functions. A young man known as Toby allegedly hanged himself from the catwalk, and he still resides in the theater. During school productions, his ghost will appear backstage and in dressing rooms, only to vanish when he is noticed. He seems friendly and not a threat to anyone, as the students have learned to work around him. One afternoon during rehearsal, one young lady could not find her script. She was searching everywhere, but to no avail. When she returned to the dressing room, there it was on the chair. She had previously searched this room, and it was not there then. Her explanation is that the ghost left it for her.

VENTURA CEMETERY PARK

This is a very haunted cemetery along Main Street in Ventura. Orbs are seen at night, and apparitions are common here. Beware of this place after midnight. A young man hanged himself from a tree branch at the cemetery and has occasionally been seen hanging, only to vanish.

MAJESTIC THEATRE

In downtown Ventura, the Majestic Theatre is home to a multitude of spirits and ghosts. There is a claim that all theaters are haunted, and this site is no exception. After dark, many have witnessed apparitions that suddenly disappear. A woman in a white dress dances across the stage, and some even claim that she is headless. Several male ghosts walk through the theater dressed in old-fashioned attire. Phantom shadows are seen along the walls.

FATHER SERRA CROSS (ST. SERRA)

Grant Park is home to the Father Serra Cross, which overlooks the city of Ventura. A Native American woman dressed in a white Victorian nightgown lurks around the cross after midnight. She has been seen many times, only to disappear when she is approached. A Spanish soldier assaulted and strangled her in the 1800s, and he buried her body near the cross. She has been seen wandering in the park ever since.

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Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword, by Dr. Ofelia Romero-Motlagh
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• James Dean’s Apparition on Highway and His Car’s Curse
• The Murders of the Reed Family at Mission San Miguel and Other Apparitions
• Twisted Tales of Camarillo State Hospital and Sunny Acres
• Resident Spirits of San Simeon
• The Ghosts of the Paso Robles Inn and Jesse James
• The Restless Spirits of Vandenberg Air Force Base
• Apparitions by the Sea and the Haunted Lighthouses
• The Spirits of the Adelaida Cemetery and Día de los Muertos
• Jack Swann and the Ghosts of the First Theatre
• The Resident Ghost of the Robert Louis Stevenson House and the Spirits of Cannery Row
• The Hauntings of Captain Cass’s House, the Coffee Rice House and Other Eerie Tales
• Ghosts of Other Landmarks from Ventura to Monterey
• Selected Bibliography
• About the Author