1. Ghosts!
It might actually be easier to list the places in San Francisco that people don't think are haunted than to list those that are. I have heard ghost stories that take place in the ruins of Sutro Baths, in rooms at the Palace Hotel, and at almost every single-screen movie theater in the city. The San Francisco History Center has several books that relate some of the more famous stories, and even a chapter on "How to Hunt Ghosts." San Francisco Ephemera Collection files include newspaper and magazine articles on the city's hauntings and several issues of FOG ("Friends of Ghosts") the Newsletter for the International Society for the Investigation of Ghosts.
2. San Francisco Medical Examiner's Reports - Book of Unknown Dead
Did one of your ancestors meet an untimely death in San Francisco? Chances are, you will find a record of it in the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's Records. We have already written a couple of blog posts on this collection: a brief description of what you will find in them and how to use them when researching people. As if reading coroner's records weren't creepy enough, the Medical Examiner's Office had a special way of dealing with a John or Jane Doe that was discovered dead. A photo of the corpse (if it wasn't too badly decomposed) and a description of the body, as well as circumstances in which it was found, were entered into a book marked "Description of Unknown Dead." A few entries are eventually edited with an identification, but others remain "unknown" to this day.
3. Dan White's Confession
There are a lot of emotions that surround the murders of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk by ex-Supervisor Dan White. Sadness, yes. Anger, sure. But listening to Dan White's taped confession is certainly chilling.
4. Maps that show that you live over an old cemetery
Do you or someone you know live on Geary or California between Arguello and Presidio? Have you ever played golf at Lincoln Park? Have you been to the Main Library to visit us recently? If so, you've been living, playing and researching on land that used to be a cemetery. Beginning in 1921, the bodies and tombstones in San Franciso's cemeteries were dug up and removed to Colma a few miles to the south. Some of the tombstones remain in San Francisco in the form of sea walls and park gutters. But what about the bodies? Did they all get moved to Colma?
The San Francisco History Center has several ephemera files on San Francisco's cemeteries, including:
5. The Satanic Mass / The Satanic Bible recording by Anton Szandor LaVey
This record album of San Francisco's famous Satan worshipper, Anton LaVey, was recorded live at the Church of Satan (6114 California St.) on Friday, September 13, III anno Satanas (1968).
Along with a list of tracks on the album and a brief history of the Church of Satan, there is a special note: "To experience the sensation of actually being part of this Satanic rite, listen to this recording in a dark, or semi-dark room. If any light is used it should be provided by black candles."
Unfortunately, we cannot turn off all the lights in the History Center, nor can we let you burn a black candle in the History Center's audio room, but perhaps headphones and sunglasses might bring about the same effect.
For more about Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan ask for:
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| 1007 Gough Street was re-named the McKittrick Hotel in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. It was haunted by the spirit of Carlotta Valdes in the film, but was it haunted in real life? |
- Ghost Hunter's Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area by Jeff Dwyer
- Haunted San Francisco: Ghost Stories from the City's Past by Rand Richards
- Three Houses by Sara Gerstle
- San Francisco Ephemera Collection: SF.GHOSTS.
2. San Francisco Medical Examiner's Reports - Book of Unknown Dead
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| Description of Unknown Dead, 1902-1907. The San Francisco History Center has three more volumes of dates ranging from 1907-1927. |
Did one of your ancestors meet an untimely death in San Francisco? Chances are, you will find a record of it in the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's Records. We have already written a couple of blog posts on this collection: a brief description of what you will find in them and how to use them when researching people. As if reading coroner's records weren't creepy enough, the Medical Examiner's Office had a special way of dealing with a John or Jane Doe that was discovered dead. A photo of the corpse (if it wasn't too badly decomposed) and a description of the body, as well as circumstances in which it was found, were entered into a book marked "Description of Unknown Dead." A few entries are eventually edited with an identification, but others remain "unknown" to this day.
3. Dan White's Confession
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| Cassette tape of Dan White's Confession from the Mike Weiss Double Play Collection (SFH 34) |
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| "Dan White Hit Squad" pin-back |
- Mike Weiss Double Play Collection (SFH 34)
- Double Play: The Hidden Passions Behind the Double Assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk by Mike Weiss
- Gayslayer! The Story of How Dan White Killed Harvey Milk and George Moscone & Got Away With Murder by Warren Hinckle
- The Official Dan White Coloring Book by Adrian Dickworthy
- San Francisco Biography Collection: SF. BIOGRAPHY. WHITE, DAN
4. Maps that show that you live over an old cemetery
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| Detail from "The Commercial, Pictoral and Tourist Map of San Francisco." August Chevalier. 1904. |
The San Francisco History Center has several ephemera files on San Francisco's cemeteries, including:
- SF. CEMETERIES.
- SF. CEMETERIES. LAUREL HILL CEMETERY.
- SF. CEMETERIES. ODD FELLOWS CEMETERY.
- SF. CEMETERIES. REMOVAL OF.
- SF. CEMETERIES. TOMBSTONES.
- As well as the film: A Second Final Rest: The History of San Franicsco's Lost Cemeteries.
- And our blog post: San Francisco's Old Cemetery Records
5. The Satanic Mass / The Satanic Bible recording by Anton Szandor LaVey
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Along with a list of tracks on the album and a brief history of the Church of Satan, there is a special note: "To experience the sensation of actually being part of this Satanic rite, listen to this recording in a dark, or semi-dark room. If any light is used it should be provided by black candles."
Unfortunately, we cannot turn off all the lights in the History Center, nor can we let you burn a black candle in the History Center's audio room, but perhaps headphones and sunglasses might bring about the same effect.
For more about Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan ask for:
- The Satanic Mass / The Satanic Bible by Anton Szandor LaVey [sound recording]
- San Francisco Biography Collection: SF. BIO. LA VEY, ANTON
There are also some great shots of the Fortmann Mansion (1007 Gough at Eddy) in the Charles Cushman collection at Indiana University http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/results/detail.do?query=gough&page=1&pagesize=20&display=thumbcap&action=search&pnum=P10820
ReplyDeleteOoh. Even more creepy in color!
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