Strange flying creature seen near Delano

Searching one of my favorite sites for weird and strange tales I ran across a creature sighting near the small town of Delano.

The creature is described as having a bat like body with a head similar to that of a crow and covered completely in feathers. Witnesses estimated it to be about three feet tall and about the size of a large dog (between 40 and 60 pounds). It's been seen mostly near Avenue 8 between Delano and Richgrove for the past seven months or so.

Locals also think that it may be eating stray dogs as many mutilated carcasses have been found in the area with feathers similar to that seen on the creature found next to it.

As to what this creature could be, I don't know. I wish there was a description of the wing span, not the height of the creature, as that could help explain things more. My first thought is it's just nothing more than a vulture, but the description is a bit different. That and I don't think a vulture would leave feathers as it's head and neck are featherless to begin with.

So this had me thinking about a story I wrote about sometime ago of another large flying creature spotted in the Central Valley, this time in Fresno. This sighting was of a large bird like creature with a 12 foot wing span seen flying over Fresno. Could this creature and the one seen in Delano be somehow related?

To be honest I think the creature is just a misidentification of a regular bird (perhaps a hawk) and not some strange dog eating creature roaming the country side. As for the feathers found by the dogs, could be any type of bird. Crows are scavengers and the feathers could be from them.

Or I could be completely wrong and there is some unknown creature flying around the country side in the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anything else regarding these sightings.

North Fresno hotel rumored to be haunted by ghost of suicide victim

I was recently contacted by a reader asking if I had heard of the R.S. Gibson story. Apparently Gibson committed suicide at a local hotel and is said to haunt the very room in which he died.

From what I was told the incident occurred sometime in June of 1972. Gibson was having an affair with a woman named Marilyn (who was said to look like the legendary Marilyn Monroe) and they would have their rendezvous at a hotel on the outskirts (of then) Northern Fresno near Herndon and Blackstone. Gibson, who had owned a used car lot on Abby Street, had met Marilyn when she was a cocktail waitress at the old Tropicana and their affair lasted for over four years.

But their torrid affair was not meant to last. One night Marilyn met with Gibson in the hotel room they frequented and told him that she didn't want to see him any more. Distraught after she left, Gibson grabbed a pen and paper and wrote a final note to his love before grabbing a gun and ending his life with a self-inflicted gun shot to the head.

Since then guests have claimed to hear whispers in the very room where Gibson ended his life. A hoarse voice would cry out the name Marilyn over and over again scaring any guest that was in the room. Most would check out the next morning not wanting to deal with whatever is in the room.

The e-mail stated that the hotel in question is the Roadway Inn, which does lie on the corner of Herndon and Blackstone. They were unable to tell me the exact room where Gibson committed suicide but claimed that an article ran by the Fresno Bee in June of 1972 would have more information. Unfortunately I was unable to find anything to back up this claim in the Fresno Bee archives or any other online news archive. So I decided to head to the hotel and talk to the help there to see if any of these stories were true.

When I arrived at the hotel there was a lone worker at the front desk. I introduced myself and told her what I knew of the story. She told me she hadn't hear of anything in particular, but that she had only been there for four months. I left my card and thanked her for her time, but I definitely want to go back and talked to someone who has worked there longer.

So is this story true? It's hard to say. The person claimed that the story could be found in the Fresno Bee archives, but I couldn't find anything. Doing a Google search of the name "R.S. Gibson" did come up with an auto dealership, but the address was on Broadway not Abby as I was told. To verify this story I'm going to have to dig further. But still the story is an interesting one. And if it is true it is a tragic one.

Sacramento river boat said to be haunted

Perusing the internet for ghost stories I came across this interesting one up in Sacramento (yes I know the website isn't called Weird Sacramento, but bear with me). The location is actually an old paddle wheel boat docked on the banks of the Sacramento River in Old Town.

The boat is named the Delta King of Sacramento and was built sometime in the 1920's and plied the Sacramento River between San Francisco and Sacramento from 1929 to 1940 and was used as a troop transport ship during World War II. After the war the boat fell into disuse and roamed the Delta without any purpose. In 1982 the boat sank near Richmond in San Francisco Bay and was there for over 18 months. Finally in 1984 the Delta King was brought back to Sacramento and underwent a $9 million restoration. Today it is a floating hotel with two restaurants, two fully functional theaters, and facilities for wedding use.

But like any old structure that has its share of history, the Delta King is said to be haunted. Patrons have reported hearing a little girl singing "ring around the rosey" and some have seen her running up and down many of the ship's hallways. She's said to be around 8 or 9 years old and has blonde hair and to have died on the boat in the early days of its use, sometime in the late 20's or early 30's.

One of the other ghosts that haunts the boat is said to be one of the former captains who committed suicide on the boat. Not much is said about the male ghost except that he likes to mess with employees from time to time and the few times he has been seen he was wearing a white shirt and dark pants and cap.

Ghosts have also been seen in the Delta King's two theaters. Not much is known but some speculate that it's either former performers or audience members that for some reason have decided to attend another show.

One of the things that I love about this location is the history involved with the boat and how even after it feel into disuse the city of Sacramento decided to restore it and make it a destination for people. The fact that it's haunted just adds to the history of it.

Exploring some of Lindsay's haunted locations

I had the privilege last Saturday night to tour and investigate two haunted locations in the town of Lindsay with the Paranormal Ghost Society, who was in charge of the tour. The locations were the Mason House and the Lindsay Museum and Gallery, which was next door to the Mason House. I decided to bring along my friend Michele as she had never been ghost hunting before and wanted to see what it was like. 

Upon arrival I met several members of PGS as well as Gary our tour guide. After introducing myself I started to ask about the history of both places. I was told both have had paranormal activity in the past and included strange footsteps, voices when no one else was around, as well as being touched by an unseen presence. Now I know this doesn't sound like much, but when you get multiple witnesses reporting the same thing you start to take notice.


The first location we investigated was the Mason House, so named after the family that owned it for years. But it has history even before that. Sometime during the early 20th century, a doctor took up residence in the growing town of Lindsay and had ordered a prefab home from Sears that would serve as both his home and place of work. Unfortunately his stay there didn't last long as he had an affair with a nurse (who was said to be married) and was ran out of town. Apparently being run out of town back then meant traveling 13 miles to the South and taking up residence in Porterville. The home changed hands a few times before the Mason family took ownership before passing it to the city of Lindsay to be used as a museum of sorts.


After touring the Mason House our guide Gary took us next door to the Lindsay Museum and Gallery. This used to be the old Lindsay Museum and which was built sometime in the 1920's. But with the construction of the new library, this building was converted to a museum housing artifacts from Lindsay's past as well as having a section dedicated to showcasing local art. This right here made me happy. Instead of just tearing down an old building because it had no use anymore, the city of Lindsay found a new use for it. I wish Fresno would do the same instead of tearing down an old building instead of finding a new use for it.

After touring both locations I asked if the group new anything behind the paranormal activity. They said they didn't as of yet but were currently researching the history of both locations. They have gathered evidence such as EVP's that verify the locations are haunted, just they don't know who is behind the activity as of yet. I wanted to mention this as not every spot that is haunted has a ready made story behind it. It takes paranormal investigation groups years to determine what's causing the activity and why.

After being given a tour and a brief history lesson the group headed back to the Mason House to do some EVP work. We set up in the living room area. I didn't bring any equipment (didn't realize we'd get a chance to do an investigation) and all I had with me was my iPhone's recorder which isn't the best. Luckily PGS has several recorders and proceeded to do a session. While asking questions, one of the group members noticed some movement in the kitchen area. During that same time I heard some noises that sounded like they were coming from where the stove was at in the kitchen. After listening to the recordings we headed to the kitchen to see if we could get anything there. More strange noises were heard including what sounded like footsteps coming from right next to me.

Unfortunately time wasn't on my side as I had to work the next morning. So we then headed to the basement of the old library were most of the activity occurred. This included an unsettling presence, voices whispering, and being touched by an invisible hand. We started to do another EVP session there when I heard what sounded like a small knock on the shelf next to me. One of the group members asked if whoever was there could make the noise again, which again we did hear. Now it could have just been the old wood expending from the day's heat, but I thought this was rather coincidental that when asked a second time we received a reply. We continued recording when I heard a noise behind me, this time a louder thud. I inspected the area but couldn't find anything that had fallen over that would have made that sound. As we were looking for what made the noise we heard what sounded like several footsteps upstairs. As for it being one of the group this was unlikely as every person except one was in the basement, and as we headed back upstairs there was no one there and the group member was next door still at the Mason House.

As the night concluded I thanked the Paranormal Ghost Society, a bit bummed as I wanted to investigate more but didn't have the time. I'm curious to find out what their research uncovers for both locations and definitely want to go back when I have more time.

Former Tulare County General Hospital rumored to be haunted

While doing some research for another article I'm working on I came across the story of the Hillman Health Clinic in Tulare County.

The set of buildings located on K Street and Bardsley Ave were formerly part of the old Tulare County General Hospital center. When the hospital moved to its current location on Cherry Ave, the buildings were converted to be used as a public and mental health clinic (with other services that occupy the second floor and maintenance housed in the basement).

Most activity seems to be centered on the second floor and in the basement. The elevator will move between floors and when the doors open there is no one inside. The evening cleaning crew refuse to work past 9:00 pm as heavy footsteps can be heard on the floor even when it's empty. And apparently a staff member was once taken to the basement even though they pressed the button for a different floor.

In the basement a maintenance worker reported seeing shadowy figures several times moving around and even walking through walls. The strangest incident was when they were asked by a supervisor to check on a room for something. As they approached the room the witness came across a nurse dressed in a white uniform and had a white cap with a red cross on it. Curious as to why a nurse would be in the basement, he turned around but she had disappeared. Upon returning to his supervisor he asked if any nurses were in the basement, but was told there wasn't any. When he described the uniform, the supervisor looked confused as she said that type of uniform hadn't been worn by the nurses in decades.

I've always wondered if hospitals were haunted, given the amount of death that must occur here as well as the amount of emotions that the place had seen over the years. Perhaps the footsteps being heard are a residual haunting, were the same event is played over and over. But what of the incidents that happen with the elevator? Someone still trying to leave the hospital even after all these years?

And then there's the story of the nurse. Obviously the worker saw someone who worked there many years ago, but why was she still there? I know most people think that a person haunts the place where they die (and this is definitely possible with a hospital), but I've always been of the belief that someone may haunt where they were most happy. And in the case of the nurse, it was where she worked (which would explain the uniform).

Whatever the reasons may be, there is definitely something wandering the floors of the Hillman Health Clinic late at night.

Chupacabra forces prom in Mendota to be canceled

Did this friendly lil guy cause the prom in Mendota to be canceled?

Photo courtesy of sapherequeen from fanpop.com

First off let me apologize for the lack of recent context. I've been in the process of moving and didn't have time for much else. Now that I'm settled in I can focus again on providing content for Weird Fresno. Today I thought I would do that by revisiting an early story that I had done.

According to a website called the Chupacabra Tracker, on May 10 (the year is never told) in the small farming town of Mendota a rooster is said to have died of "mysterious" circumstances. Soon after that the Fresno County Department of Agriculture started to receive reports of Chupacabra sightings in the area. This apparently alarmed the local parents so much that they had the prom canceled out of fear their children might become victims to the legendary goat sucker.

How legitimate this story is, I have no idea. When I first came across it I contacted both Mendota High School and the Fresno County Ag Commissioner (there is no county Dept. of Ag, only state) but never received a reply from either party. Still I love this story. Something had to have happened to freak out the local parents to have them go as far to cancel the local prom. I just really hope it wasn't a dog with a case of mange.

Bakersfield park said to be haunted by ghost of murder victim

Covered bridge over the canal where a ghost is said to haunt

Bakersfield's Central Park.

Photo courtesy of Hauntings Paranormal Social Network.

Today I decided to share a story from the southern part of the Central Valley, from the city of Bakersfield. And if my research on this tells me anything, it's one of the more prevalent ghost stories there.

There have been tales of a lady in white wandering the grounds of Bakersfield's Central Park for as long as the park has been around. Created in 1937, Central Park is located between 21st Street and 19th Street, just east of R Street. According to local legend a woman was shot and killed in the park and her bones were found buried at an old foundry and supposedly they were riddled with bullet holes.

Witnesses have reported seeing the ghost of a woman, usually wearing a white flowing robe or gown; wander along the park's canal right before sunrise. Some think she is looking for help, hoping someone will find her murderer. Others think she is just lost and wanders the place where she was killed.

What's interesting about this story that it seems to be a mixture of the Lady in White and La Llorona stories. Now I'm not saying it's just another local urban legend (though all evidence seems to point to that being a yes), but there are questions I have about this story. For one, who was this woman and why was she murdered at this park? A jealous lover, victim of a mugging, or something else? Every telling of this story didn't have this information. As for the bones that were said to be found, I don't know how true this is. And what's to link them with the woman who is said to have been murdered in the park?

So the question is this: another local urban legend that has been passed down through the years from word of mouth (and not made popular by the internet)? Or is there some truth to this story and an innocent woman was killed at this park and wanders it to this day, either looking for help or doomed to walk it for eternity?

Is a local Selma museum haunted?

It's said that if you visit the Selma Pioneer Village, located in the small town of Selma, that you can hear ghostly noises and sometimes see shadowy figures in the trees at night.

The Selma Pioneer Village started in 1980 when local resident Art Gonzales began collecting historic Selma area buildings. These included a Queen Anne style home, St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church, a railroad depot, the Unger Opera House, a doctor's office and the very first school house in Selma. There's also a large collection of ag equipment and tools as well other antique furnishings including toys and medical equipment.

The paranormal stories stem from an over night stay at the park. One witness claimed to have heard strange noises that sounded like spurs jangling while they were there late one night, but upon investigating they couldn't find where the noises were coming from or who was making them. Later that night they begin to hear what sounded like children laughing and when they went outside to see who was there, shadowy figures were seen darting from tree to tree. Another witness claimed to have heard noises coming from the area where the dutch ovens (very large, heavy oven) were at. But when a flashlight was shined on the area, there was no one there.

So that leads to the question, who or what is causing these strange incidents? Given the fact that most, if not all the buildings are over 100 years old there is a good chance that a spirit may have formed an attachment to one of them. And as far as I know, not all the buildings were originally at the same location, but were relocated there. It's a theory among paranormal investigators that when a rumored haunted spot has any work done to it, or even moved as in this case, that spirit activity increases due to the disturbances going on. Could the fact that some of the buildings aren't in the original location have awakened any spirit that was attached to them and now they make their presence known to anyone who visits the village?

Another theory is that it's a residual haunting, that the sounds of spurs and children laughing (remember there's an old school house there) are just a replay of events that happened over a century ago. For whatever these sounds get played over and over and as the years progress get fainter and fainter as the energy dissipates.

As for what really is at the Selma Pioneer Village, it's hard to say. But the rumors of it being haunted have persisted for years as a friend of mine, who has lived in Selma all her life, told me she heard it was haunted since she was a kid. So it definitely wasn't some random incident and there is definitely something there if it's known to be haunted.