San Diego's El Campo Santo Cemetery

This haunting is the result of old graves being disturbed.

El Campo Santos Cemetery, 1888.

In 1849 in San Diego, California the Catholic, the Catholic Church, a cemetery called “El Campo Santo”--The Holy Field. It was used through 1880.

This cemetery was placed in the area that would one day be San Diego’s historic Old Town. It is located just a couple of blocks from the Whaley House--which I wrote about here.

This cemetery eventually had 477 graves. Several of the founding fathers of San Diego are buried at El Campo.

Today this cemetery is only a quarter of its original size. As the city grew part of the cemeteries’ land was claimed for new development, which included: roads, buildings, and homes.

With this expansion, some graves were moved. Unfortunately, others were not.

In 1894 a horse-drawn streetcar was built through part of the cemetery, which later became San Diego Avenue. In 1942, this road was paved over leaving many graves under the street, sidewalk, and buildings.

In previous posts, here and here I mention it is never a good idea to build over existing graves. This often results in problems for the living.

A Renovation

In 1933, the San Diego Historical Society renovated this old graveyard. From one historic photo and varies descriptions, they endeavored to accurately restore the cemetery.

An adobe brick wall was built around what remains of the cemetery. Markers were reset--only 6 of the original broken iron and wooden paling enclosures remained.

It was at this time that the surrounding businesses and homes started to officially report that the area was haunted.

In 1993, equipment that uses radar to penetrate underground determined that there are at least 20 graves under San Diego Avenue.

Just outside the El Campo Santo’s front gate there are small brass circular plaques that read “Grave Site” embedded into the sidewalk and street. Just above the road is a plaque that reads:

“Remembering the more than 20 men, women, and children who lie buried beneath San Diego Avenue.”

Ironically, only one person--a state Assembly member--was deemed worthy enough to be exhumed and re-buried within the cemetery walls.

Another 13 graves, most of them children were found under the pavement on Linwood Street.

For years, businesses and residents in the Old Town area that surround this old cemetery have reported poltergeist activity.

This activity is always described as “annoying.” Most often people report problems with their electricity, lights, appliances and alarm systems often malfunction.

Many people who have visited and walked through El Campo report feeling freezing cold spots. Others that park their cars in front of the graveyard report they will not start when they return.

People that live and work in the area also report seeing a variety of apparitions within and outside the cemetery walls.

Sometimes these ghosts are mistaken for costumed actors promoting a local business.

Ghosts are seen gliding across the graves in the cemetery and groups of entities have been seen standing near the cemetery's perimeter.

Many of these ghosts are only seen from the waist up. When approached they disappear quickly.

One specific ghost that has been seen on several occasions is that of a gravedigger.

Many ghosts reported are described as Native American or Hispanic, which fits with the history of San Diego’s Old Town.

In the 1990s, during a three-year period, the activity became so pronounced that local residents and businesses came together and paid for an exorcism of the graveyard and surrounding area.

This settled the activity down but it is said apparitions are still seen--especially the gravedigger and a group of ghost children.

El Campos Santos Cemetery is a California Historical Landmark. It is located at the 2400 block of San Diego Avenue. Two notable interments at this graveyard are:

James W. Robinson is known as Yankee Jim--died in 1852. He was a French Canadian Western Outlaw who was sentenced to death by hanging for stealing the only rowboat in San Diego Bay. He is thought to haunt Whaley House.

Antonio Garra who died in 1852. He was a Native American chief sentenced to death for organizing an Indian confederation to drive Americans out of California. He was executed at his gravesite, by a firing squad consisting of 12 men. It is believed he is buried underneath what is now San Diego Avenue.

What Do Ghosts Know? Do They Have Choices?

According to many who have studied the ghostly phenomenon for years-- ghosts know more than we give them credit for. 

Many parapsychologists and psychics for instance do not believe the common idea that ghosts are confused or lost and do not know they are dead. So the notion that ghosts need the living to guide them toward the light is not always true or necessary. 

If this is believed then what do ghosts know?

Loyd Auerbach in his book, Hauntings and Poltergeists gives several reasons why he feels ghosts are self-aware. In the cases he has been involved with the apparitions he has studied have clearly communicated that they know they are not living. 

So some ghosts do not hang around just because they think they are still alive. So why do they stick around? Auerbach lists the reasons that the apparitions themselves have communicated.

It appears ghosts do have a choice. The reasons they stay around are varied. Some stay basically because they fear what is to come next. Others stay because they feel better and more comfortable close to the people or places they are familiar with. 

Ghosts often state they are still around because they are looking for something. Yet others stay because they have fond memories of being loved etc.

What is interesting is apparitions don’t necessarily tie themselves down to one place. This is back to the fact they obviously have choices. Most traditional stories of hauntings tie ghosts to one place: a home, hotel, restaurant etc. 

But there is evidence that ghosts actually enjoy moving around in their local surrounding--such as neighborhoods. Some even move great distances. There have been many cases where a ghost will move with a person or family they are attached to.

One story that is told in Corrales, NM--this area is a haunted corridor--involves a helper ghost by the name of Betsy who is known to be a kitchen helper. She moves from home to home and helps by placing items that people have lost in their kitchens on a counter where they can find them. 

Apparitions do tend to stick to areas where they are most comfortable but some have more than one place.

Loyd Auerbach mentions that since ghosts do seem to have free will it is not always the best or most appropriate thing to ask them to move on. Despite the fact that the presence of ghosts might make some uncomfortable it must be kept in mind that ghosts do not pose a threat. If a ghost does not want to move along it should remain their choice. 

I always find it interesting and helpful to look at ghosts and hauntings with a new perspective, this is why I place these thoughts here.