Elizabeth Kile - Haunted San Jose

Published by Haunted America

A division of The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.com

Copyright 2022 by Elizabeth Kile

All rights reserved

Front cover: Author photo.

First published 2022

E-Book edition 2022

ISBN 978.1.43967.599.1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022937932

Print Edition ISBN 978.1.46715.081.1

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

To Nicole, my partner in paranormal adventures,

and to Anna and Lila, my storytellers

CONTENTS

PREFACE

San Jose is a place where the past and the future converge. From its humble beginnings in 1777 as a riverside pueblo, to its significant agricultural production around the turn of the twentieth century, to its current leadership in technological innovation, San Jose has the weight of history behind it, along with the ability to look forward and imagine what might be next. This blend of credibility and creativity seems to nurture paranormal activity, allowing ghosts to inhabit spaces both historical and modern and make themselves known to the living.

The city is also, to some degree, responsible for my own lifelong interest in the paranormal. I am a seventh-generation Californian. My first San Jose family member was born here in 1798, only twenty-two years after the citys founding. Because of my familys deep connection to the citys roots, I grew up immersed in San Joses history. And, in part, because of my mothers casual interest in the paranormal, I grew up captivated by ghost stories and legends. My fascination has led me to seek out haunted locations and to participate in paranormal investigations but also to uncover the history behind the stories, to learn more about the people and places that populate the tales and try to get to the genesis of the hauntings.

I am a believer in ghosts, but I also consider myself a skeptic, looking for rational explanations and relying on common sense. But there are things that cant be simply explained away, and a couple of experiences have convinced me that there is something beyond our realm of normal understandingthe very definition of paranormal. I like to think that this blend of skepticism and belief makes the unexplainable more compelling: if I dont see ghosts everywhere I look, then, when I do experience something I cant explain, Im much more apt to believe in it.

To that end, this book doesnt shy away from debunking some persistent claims that run counter to the historical record. That doesnt mean that ghosts dont exist or that the locations arent haunted. It does mean that sometimes the legends have taken on lives of their own and some distinction should be made between lore and fact. Part of the pleasure of sharing ghost stories is in the telling, not necessarily in the believing. If a story is compelling and frightening enough, does it matter if its true? Probably not. We can continue to scare ourselves with stories we know are implausible, but out of respect for those who came before us, we should also acknowledge the historical record.

This book is meant to be a blend of history and mystery. In many cases, the historical background is just as fascinating as the stories of ghosts and hauntings, so Ive taken pleasure in exploring that history. Its also important to honor our predecessors by keeping them alive in our memory. Just as we hope future generations will be interested in us and the way we live, those who lived before us shared the same desire not to live and die anonymously. Its human nature to want to be remembered. After all, isnt that why ghosts continue to make their presence known?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Its a clich, but writing is a lonely endeavor. Writing a book about ghosts in a hyper-scientific society that doesnt want to talk about ghosts is an extreme exercise in loneliness and frustration. The difficulty I had in getting people to talk to me about haunted San Jose reminds me that this continues to be a taboo subject. So, to that end, I am extremely grateful to those who took a risk or were curious or open-minded enough to discuss their experiences with me, namely, Windy Abreau-Campen, Danny Diaz, Stefen Grace, Marilyn Jerkovich, Allen Weitzel and those who contacted me via email or social media to share stories that didnt end up in the book.

I am also grateful to those who may not have had ghost stories of their own but offered me tremendous support as I was writing:

Laurie Krill at The History Press, thank you for your support through the process.

Nicole Hughes, thank you for helping me with quite literally everything, even before I knew I was writing a book. This book couldnt have happened without your literary and marketing expertise, your unwavering cheerleading and your hilarious skepticism. Youre the best writing and traveling buddy paranormal or otherwiseI could hope for.

My children have been to more parts of San Jose and more haunted locations than most people their age. Thank you for keeping me company; its so much fun to take you places. You can read this book when youre older.

Thanks to both of my parents for filling our home with books and always reminding me I am a writer.

A specific thanks to my mom, for helping me with history, social media and childcare and for introducing me to all things spooky and ghostly when I was probably too young for them.

Wesley, thanks for holding down the fort and for listening to more stories than you probably wanted to. And thanks for the tech support. And Im grateful for your willingness to visit obscure places with me.

Chris Minato, thanks for being a fellow ghost enthusiast (and being willing to talk about it!) and letting me lean on your cultural expertise and family experience. And thanks for riding the light rail with methe scariest experience of allwhen we were both at SJSU.

Bobbi Arduini, thanks for letting me be your paranormal pathfinder, and thanks for your pathfinding on our hikes.

Mike Espinoza, I greatly appreciate your patience in tolerating my questions that you couldnt possibly have had the answers to and your consistent, quiet encouragement.

Jeff Bengford and Kellye Dodd, thank you for insightful conversations and the behind-the-scenes tour.

Niki Hinds and Suzy Brooks, thank you for your research assistance and for being marvelous colleagues and friends.

I appreciate the assistance from Shane Curtin and Michael at the California Room of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library and also from Kitty Monahan.

INTRODUCTION

Long before San Jose and the surrounding areas were known as Silicon Valley, or even the Valley of Hearts Delight, they were the ancestral home of the Ohlone people. The Ohlone comprised a number of Native American groups that occupied the lands from northeast of the San Francisco Bay to south of Monterey Bay. Eventually, many of these groups were enfolded into the Spanish mission system, where their beliefs and customs were subsumed by those of European Catholicism. But the Ohlone had their own long and rich heritage of beliefs and rituals, including views and customs surrounding death and the afterlife.