Published by Haunted America
A Division of The History Press
Charleston, SC
www.historypress.com
Copyright 2018 by Nicole Strickland
All rights reserved
Cover photo courtesy of Nicole Strickland.
First published 2018
e-book edition 2018
ISBN 978.1.43966.530.5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018942431
print edition ISBN 978.1.46713.947.2
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.
For Gabe and Juanyour memories eternally reign in the heart and soul of the universe.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
Southern California, popularly known today as So Cal, is synonymous with wealth, glamour and entertainment. Millennia ago, Native American tribes searched for food and water in a great undeveloped expanse of desert leading to the Pacific Ocean. Many of those tribes no longer exist, and with good reason. Spanish explorers, along with neighboring Mexicans, appeared and claimed the land, leaving their mark by establishing forts, missions and small towns, which were privately held. What happened to those structures and places is laid out precisely in the sequence of events from the earliest migrants to the gold miners in Northern California who looked to the south for their food and supplies.
The history revealed in this book is as much about the land as it is about the people who lived there. Missions, rancho lands with thousands of grazing cattle and squalid adobe homes with dirt floors made for a hardscrabble life. But the never-ending feuds over the land itself as it was claimed, reclaimed and bitterly contested make for a most interesting read. Vast tracts became smaller and smaller until commercialization finally took over in the last century. A few notable exceptions escaped destruction, one of them being the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe.
Into this saga of early California history, explored and retold with methodical precision and yet with a liveliness matching the fervor of the times and the souls who fashioned elegance from the impoverished mud, enters author Nicole Strickland. Long credited with impeccable credentials as a paranormal researcher and gifted with an engaging writing style that breathes vibrant new life into the dead facts of history, Strickland is quite at home with ghosts as the active (and often distinctly noisy!) artifacts of humanitys irrepressible urge to live, express and survive.
There is plenty of hard work reflected in these pages and unmistakably a labor of love as well in the patient uncovering of the ownership history and the accounts of the quixotic people who lived there, with the imposing land itself being both a cherished prize and a rugged adversary. The spirits of people who were born there, maintained and improved the property and often died there seem to still be alert and waiting to tell their stories. In years of studying this adobe landmark, Nicole Strickland and her paranormal research team have documented many noteworthy eerie occurrences that cannot be easily explained, much less dismissed.
In the chapters that follow, you are simultaneously confronted by the grim, relentless march of history with a wealth of detail born of dreams and dust but also warmly welcomed with gregarious hospitality to help restore the destinies of lingering spirits that persist in their old habitations, hovering in a net of nostalgia between familiar desert comforts and the lure of heavens gate.
Gary Mantz and Suzanne Mitchell
Co-hosts, Mantz and Mitchell
1150 KKNW Seattle
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is always an honor to write a book about a renowned historical location. Writing is a way of life and completely soothes the soul. It is a proud moment to have finished this manuscript, as its been many years in the making. There are many people who have helped this book transition from thought to reality, and it wouldnt have come into existence without their tireless assistance and contributions.
First and foremost, I want to give thanks to my mom, Norma Strickland, and my dad, Byron Strickland, for their eternal support and love. Its a great feeling to know that your parents are proud of the work youve done. I love you both so much.
Sincere gratitude extends to Ali Schreiber, my soul sister, San Diego Paranormal Research Society co-director and comrade in arms. I am so appreciative of you and all your assistance and many invaluable contributions to this book. You and I have such a beautifully intertwined work ethic and approach to interacting with spirits; perhaps, many of the experiences weve encountered at the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe wouldnt have even occurred without the presence of both of us. Our work and friendship will continue on for eternity.
I offer my heartfelt thanks to the Arcadia Publishing/History Press staff for believing in my work. Thank you to Laurie Krill, my acquisitions editor, for her tireless dedication to my book, seeing it in its early stages all the way to completion.
Thank you to Gary Mantz and Suzanne Mitchell for writing this books foreword. Mantz and Mitchell are the co-hosts of the popular Mantz and Mitchell terrestrial radio show, which airs live in Seattle, Washington, on KKNW 1150 AM on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The City of Vista has been an ongoing supporter for our monthly Spirits of the Adobe tours. Much gratitude extends to the City of Vista management team, employees Bill Fortmueller, Rob Anderson and Kim Crawford for assistance in co-creating these fundraising tours as well as helping us to co-manage them. Additionally, we are extremely grateful to the City of Vista and the Friends of the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe for their tireless preservation and upkeep of the legendary rancho. Much thanks to employees Fred Tracy and Frank Rojano for providing their unique paranormal encounters. Thank you for all that you do.
Much appreciation to Stephanie Arias and Samuel Wylie at the Huntington Library for helping us with historical Cave Johnson Couts journals and Rancho Buena Vista Adobe history. Thank you for all your help in arranging for Ali Schreiber and me to visit the library archives.
Ali and I also extend our gratitude to all of our Spirits of the Adobe tour guests for supporting the tours fundraising efforts for the Friends of the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe. The majority of the discussed supernatural encounters in this book occurred during the tours. We thank each and every one of you for your attendance and interaction with the spirits of the adobe. It means so much to the ongoing preservation of the ranchos legacy.
Last but certainly not least, I extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to the many spirits that continue to call the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe home. You are honored, revered and loved. Both Ali and I thank you so much for allowing us to enter your world and learn about your stories. Its been a profound privilege to build a rapport with all of the spirits of the adobe, many being past residents of the property during its heyday. Today, along with historical preservation, their existence continues to educate guests on the noted sites chronological tapestry. We look forward to future research projects and tours where we can continue our quest in communicating with the spirits of the adobe.
