dezithinks

The neighborhood of Pac Heights have some spooky tales about the rich and famous, stories that include allegations of murder, voodoo, blackmail, seances, family feuds and hidden treasures. Todays ghost story is about the 19th century voodoo queen of San Francisco Mary Ellen Pleasant also known as Mother of civil rights. Pleasant was a speculated as a murderer when her lover had fallen to his death from the second story of their Octavia street home also known as the House of Mystery House.

Some say she blackmailed some of the richest men in San Francisco and practiced voodoo. The voodoo rumors were never confirmed or denied but she encouraged the rumors by walking around the streets with a crystal ball in her hand. Pleasant passed away January 4, 1904 and even though she passed away residents and neighbors still claimed to see her spirit hanging around. Unfortunately, the house burned down in 1925 and was replaced by Green’s Eye Hospital in 1927. Mary Ellen Memorial Park, one of the smallest parks in San Francisco where her spirit now hangs about. Some say if you make a respectful request of the voodoo priestess and find favor with Mary it will come true. If you disrespect her or say bad things about her expect objects to be dropped on your head, or fallen suddenly as if someone pushed you. Be careful of what you say when visiting the park, you never know who might be lurking as a crow or in her human form.

-Dezi

Sutro Baths were developed in 1894 by Adolph Sutro, the self-made millionaire who designed Sutro Heights and later the second cliff house. He constructed an ocean pool aquarium among the rocks north of the cliff house. Sutro expanded his oceanfront complex by creating a massive public bathhouse that covers three acres. It housed seven swimming pools at various temperatures, which also included slides, trapezes, springboards and high dives.

The Pacific ocean during high tide could fill the 1.7 million gallons of water required for all the swimming pools in just one hour. In addition to swimming, Sutro Baths could hold up to 10,000 guests and offered their visitors many other attractions including concerts, talent shows, and restaurants.

Over time the baths became less popular, due to the great depression, reduction in available public transportation and new public health codes. Eventually, Sutro Baths closed in 1966 and burned down in June of the same year. The remains of the pool offer a glimpse into San Francisco’s past.

Rumors have reported human sacrifices performed in the tunnels and caves that once made up the Sutro Baths. Some say if you visit the baths at night and light a candle at the end of the tunnel a spirit will come and pick it up and throw it into the water. Some claim if you look at the crevices in the caves you can see figures in bathing suits and umbrellas like Sutro Baths were in the day.

-Dezi

One of the most popular spots in San Francisco, is Alcatraz: it opened August 11, 1934 and after 29 years of operation on March 21, 1963. Some say its closed because of the disappearance of Morris and the Anglins, other say it was a decision made long before the 3 disappeared due to cost. Alcatraz was built as a military prison which was later converted into a federal prison. It housed thousands of prisoners over the years; many killed during prison fight and prisoner take overs which means there are some lingering spirits hanging around.

There have been a ton of reports about voices, footsteps, sounds of cell doors opening and closing along with cold spots throughout the building, mainly in the dining hall. A number of guards have reported extraordinary experiences that include sounds of sobbing, moaning and terrible smells. Unexpected disturbances that occurred in the isolation block of the prison known as “the hole” or the “strip cells”. This level was the bottom floor of the prison in cell block D where they kept inmates who broke the more serious rules of Alcatraz.

A man claimed a strange creature with glowing eyes tortured an inmate. The guard assumed the inmate was crying out for attention but they found him in the morning strangles with hand marks around his neck. According to the autopsy there was no way he could have done it to himself. Some believe the guards on duty did it to him but other believe “The Thing” is to blame. The inmate became a ghost of Alcatraz as he was reported in a line-up with the other unmates but promptly vanished.

Do you believe that Alcatraz is hunted? Or do you thinks it’s just our imagination?

-Dezi