California Urban Legends Guaranteed to Keep You Up at Night This Halloween
Photo by Natalia Radcliffe
~ Natalia Radcliffe ~Halloween is just around the corner.
And you know what that means.
It’s time to get scared.
And we here at Prospector Ranch have the perfect warm up to get you into the Halloween spirit.
Ever heard of the “Lady in White?
Most of you reading probably know about the famous Hollywood sign, right? Well, legend has it that a down-on-her-luck actress met her demise there. In the early 1900s, an actress named Peg Entwistle read a particularly harsh comment on one her recent films. Thinking this comment would officially end her career, she became so distraught that she climbed to the top of the “H” of the sign and threw herself off of it, tragically ending her life. People swear they see the ghost of the actress still there, haunting the area around the sign.
Think that’s nothing? Think again. You won’t see the ghost of a pretty actress frozen in the time of her death.
No, instead you’ll see a skeleton face with deep, hollowed out eyes, staring expressionlessly back at you. You’re especially prone to see her if you hike up to the sign alone.
Would YOU dare to?
Another well-known California urban legend is located in one of the most famous cities in our state: San Francisco. If you visit Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, you might run into a ghost haunting the body of water.
Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. Photo by Natalia Radcliffe
Stories say that a young woman was walking her baby in a stroller. She had sat down on a bench for a few minutes, and ended up talking with another person who had sat down beside her. When she was done with the conversation, she went to get up with her baby …. only to find her child had disappeared.
She was frantic, searching all over for her missing child. Finding no trace, she came to the conclusion the stroller must have rolled into the lake.
So, like any worried mother, she went into the lake to look for her baby.
That was the last time anyone saw her. She’s believed to have drowned in the lake, meeting a tragic end as she was trying to find her child. It’s said she still haunts the edges of Stow Lake to this day, looking for her baby. She’s been dubbed “The White Lady.”
For those brave souls daring enough to attempt to summon her, beware: If she appears to you, she will ask if you have her baby. If you say yes, you better hope you have a convincing doll on hand.
Otherwise, well … you probably know what’ll happen.
The last tale we’ll tell you today takes place right here in Ventura County.
Specifically, Ojai Valley.
Ever heard of the legend of the “Char-Man?”
Here’s one version of the story, though there are many variations.
In 1948, there was a big brush fire in the Ojai Valley that spread quickly and claimed many houses before it was finally put out. Legends say that a father and his son lived in an isolated part of the valley, their house right in the path of the fire.
No one could get to the house until the fire had ran its course. The father died in the fire, and the son was badly burned.
What people found when they could finally get to the tragic sight was beyond horrific. Without going into too much detail, stories say the son lost his mind in his grief.
When help finally arrived, his father had been stripped of his skin and his remains hung from a tree. The son disappeared into the surrounding areas by Creek Road. Supposedly, he has lived there ever since, and haunts that area as well as Camp Comfort County Park, located along Creek Road.
You don’t want to run into him (you’ll meet an early horrific end if you do), so we advise you visit during the day and with a group of people. Strength in numbers, right?
Hope you weren’t scared too badly with theses tales we told today. After all, these are just stories, local legends that have lived on through oral storytelling for many years.
You have nothing to fear.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
Thumbnail: background picture by JordanStimpson on Pixabay.com
Information obtained from:
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/09/22/alex-ready-7-creepy-urban-legends-around-usa/?safari=1
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1499696
https://www.california.com/urban-legends-about-california-thatll-blow-your-mind/
https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/californias-creepiest-urban-legends/
