Ghost folklore from 49er country
Written: Apr 02 '06 (Updated Aug 19 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: First-hand accounts of phenomena in California's gold country, author has actually done field research
Cons: Production values could be better, cover and spine have inconsistent titles
The Bottom Line: This book supplies fresh stories from the Sierras, interviews primary witnesses, and makes compelling reading for anyone who is interested in regional ghost folklore.
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| adriennefoster's Full Review: Ghost Stories of California's Gold Rush Country an... |
California's Mother Lode may not be the first place tourists think of going when visiting the Golden State, but it was the discovery of gold near Sutter's Fort that spurred so many men in the 19th century to move to the far west. It was a period strife with conflict and vigilante justice took over more often than it should have. With all of the emotional eruptions that occurred in this region, it was well seeded for ghost activity. Ghost Stories of California's Gold Rush Country and Yosemite National Park does an excellent job of locating fresh stories around the Sierras and interviewing witnesses with first-hand accounts. It makes compelling reading for anyone who is interested in ghost folklore.
This 2004 trade paperback has 19 chapters devoted to the small towns that can be found along Highway 49, including Amador City, Angels Camp, Sonora, Chinese Camp, Murphys, Oroville, Grass Valley, Mariposa, Coulterville, Columbia, Redding, Sutter Creek, Jamestown, Groveland, Sacramento, Old Sacramento, Placerville, Tuolumne, and Yosemite National Park. The main body of the book is supported by a preface, dedication, introduction, references, contact info for visiting some of the haunted sites, and a brief author bio. Several black & white photos enhance the stories.
Megan Wentworth reports her home in Murphys has had several witnesses to phenomena that have occurred there. The original owner, Oliver Stanton, used the property as a goat ranch. Two of her friends watched an old man approach from the road while they were waiting for a ride outside of the Wentworth home. When he came within 15 feet of them, he disappeared.
At the Chinese Temple in Oroville, people have reported hearing voices, seeing shadows or dark forms moving across the premises, and being tickled by unseen hands. Cissy Sant, who works there as caretaker and tour guide, swears there were many times after closing up for the day when she has found the closed sign flipped around when her back has been turned.
The Central Building is the only original adobe structure to survive at Sutter's Fort, which is located near Sacramento, the state capital. One visitor, who was alone in the second story, claims the recording, which is triggered by a motion sensor for the self-guided tour, started. Soon a couple of men in historical costume entered the room from the staircase, crossed, then left through the exit at the opposite side. Intrigued by the reenactment, the visitor followed them, only to find the direction they used had been barricaded by park management and they were nowhere about.
As a subject where many of the books written simply regurgitate previously produced material, Author Antonio R. Garcez does an excellent job of locating and interviewing primary resources to provide fresh stories of ghost folklore. Each chapter contains a brief introduction that supplies some of the background of the town and sites in question, followed by transcriptions of the witnesses' stories. Garcez's style is simple and easy to follow; the stories he has found are quickly engrossing. The fact that he put the time into his field research is impressive.
The biggest shortcoming in this collection of non-fiction stories is its lack of care in production values. Although it is nowhere near as bad as Garcez's previous book, Arizona Ghost Stories, perfectionists may be annoyed at the occasional editing mistake or the fact that the title on the cover does not match what is on the spine of the book. On the other hand, these errors are comparatively small when weighed against the new info and entertainment it provides.
While Ghost Stories of California's Gold Rush Country and Yosemite National Park scrupulously avoids the subject of football, it gives us an insight of the true 49ers few others would. This is an excellent choice for anyone looking for regional ghost folklore, particularly of California, or a different perspective of the old west.
More California ghost folklore:
The Incredible World of Gold Rush Ghosts (The Big Picture), by Nancy Bradley and Robert Reppert
Ghost Hunter's Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area, by Jeff Dwyer
Ghost Hunting in Mother Lode Country, by Hilber H. Graf
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977542028&nav=MyGather
Haunts of San Jose, by David Lee
San Francisco Ghosts, by Mark Lyon
Haunted Houses of California, by Antoinette May
California Ghost Notes, by Randall Reinstedt
Ghost Notes, by Randall Reinstedt
Ghost Stories of California, by Barbara Smith
Ghosts of San Francisco, by Kathryn Vercillo
Documentary:
Ghosts of California
Recommended:
Yes
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