Boo! It’s the Halloween season, and in the town of Redwood City, ghouls and specters are all out-a-haunting. This city has a rich history with alleged hauntings, from chilling ghost sightings to disturbing tragedies; many occurrences thought to be tied to the supernatural have been reported on these city grounds.
As many prepare for the upcoming All Hallows Eve, a slew of traditions regarding ghosts and spirits are starting to appear. Whether it be visiting the local haunted house, watching a scary movie, or sharing ghost stories with friends, the spirit of the spook is most definitely in the air. However, some ghost stories, just like the ones everyone loves to exchange during this time of year, have taken place in locations known and loved in our city and nearby, such as the Fox Theatre.
The Fox Theatre, built in 1928, has been recognized as a staple of Redwood City history and is a frequently patronized location in the downtown area. This location, as well as other paranormal locations’ outside appearances, may not suggest the presence, or former presence of a ghoul. When asked about Fox Theatre and other haunted locations like this, Sequoia junior Matthew Macedo feels that how a certain space first appears may not tell you the full story.
“[Haunted locations] don’t really seem creepy on the outside, but it’s just the stories that come from them [that make them feel creepy],” Macedo said.
Despite this facade, Fox Theatre is no stranger to a little haunting. The Redwood City Climate wrote a series of articles examining haunted locations in the area, and according to their research, in 1928, during the construction of the theatre, multiple contractors had mysterious reports of a specter while in the building. The general manager of Fox, Earnie Schmidt, claimed contractors reported seeing a ghostly figure resembling a young woman wearing a long dress, who seemed to disappear upon reaching the corner staircase of the theatre. Around the time of these sightings, an urn with the ashes of a woman was discovered in the building’s attic. The former owner of Fox, Eric Lotchefield, stated that the ashes found “dated back decades”.
Another staple of the area is the family-friendly Water Dog Lake Park, built around the year 1870. Water Dog Lake Park, located in Belmont, was originally created to provide water to the Ralston Mansion, located near the Notre Dame campus. While the lake itself, like the Fox Theatre, might seem inconspicuous, the murky waters and hidden tunnels beneath the basin offer an array of disturbing stories. To start, these mysterious tunnels, riddled with graffiti and symbols of all sorts, are rumored to have been home to satanic rituals. However, the tunnels aren’t the only mysterious secret that the lake and its surrounding park hold. On Oct. 2, 1984, the remains of a 12-year-old were discovered near the water. The child, 12-year-old Lance Turner, was found in the bushes next to the lake. He was a victim of serial killer John Dunkle, nicknamed ‘The Peninsula Serial Killer’.
While local legends circulate in the city, it is intriguing to know how those around Sequoia’s campus feel about ghosts and paranormal phenomena.
“I believe that something [paranormal] must exist. However, there’s most likely science backing whatever is going on [in these haunted places],” Macedo said.
When asked about an explanation for the supernatural, freshman Jonah Du Mee had a similar take to Macedo.
“Science [is responsible for these incidents], because science has the answers to a lot of things,” Du Mee said.
But what about the other end of the belief spectrum? Sequoia Media Center library assistant, Maria Cornelio, who has visited the ‘haunted’ Bay Area spectacle, the Winchester Mystery House, has a different belief on the subject.
“I believe in the paranormal, I think [ghosts] are real. I think energy has a lot to do with it,” Cornelio said.
Many other Americans believe that something paranormal must exist. According to a survey from CivicScience, 64% of U.S. adults believe in one or more variants of supernatural or paranormal phenomena. The survey states that the most popular of these phenomena is ghosts or spirits, with 41% of interviewees believing in them. Due to the mysterious nature of the paranormal, many interpretations can be made about such beings’ appearances, behaviors, or existence.