Yosemite Indian Museum

Half Dome and Merced River in fall.

Nestled in the mountainous terrain of the Sierra Nevada in California, the 1,200 squares miles that encompass Yosemite National Park was first preserved in 1864 by Abraham Lincoln. The park opened in 1890.

At the beginning of this month, Yosemite commemorated its 125 anniversary.

Yosemite is known for its spectacular waterfalls, valleys and mountains. It offers grand meadows, ancient sequoias trees, lakes and streams and some of the world’s best rock climbing. Four million people visit the park every year.

The areas first inhabitants were Native people—the Tsa’lagil or Miwok. The park first celebrated this fact with the establishment of the Indian Village in 1920. Today, nearby this village is the park’s Indian Museum.

Yosemite Museum

According to Antonio R. Garcez’ book, American Indian Ghost Stories of the West Yosemite Park and this museum are both haunted by Native Americans.

The spirits of these Indians are seen moving throughout the park. Some are even heard singing. Reports of this activity are common near streams and waterfalls.

One female Native American park ranger and storyteller states that in the corner of the Indian Museum building there is an Indian burial ground. This location is not widely shared—out of respect for the dead.

This park ranger feels that other spirits are drawn to this area because the museum displays fine artifacts, such as baskets *, that these spirits are proud of and attached to.

* These baskets are valued at between 10,000 and 15,000 dollars.

Shadow people are seen in this museum as well as display lights tend to flicker. But by far the most compelling activity revolves around the museum’s mannequins.

This paranormal activity has startled more than one person.

These mannequin’s faces were cast or molded from real Native American’s faces that were deceased at the time.

Mannequin

An unusual sound often heard in this museum is the shrieks of visitors. When they are approached to find out what is going on they all describe seeing various mannequin’s heads turning and looking at them.

Other reports include details of these mannequin’s eyes and mouths moving.

What is interesting about this activity is the fact that the local Native Americans believe that it is disrespectful to stare or look straight at the spirits of the deceased.

St. Francis Hotel: The Jazz Singer

He is seen out of the corner of the eye for just a fleeting second.

Al Jolson

In October of 1950, Al Jolson—born Asa Yoelson-- a singer and entertainer died of a massive heart attack while playing cards with friends in his suite at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.

Jolson who considered San Francisco his home had just returned from entertaining American troops in Korea. He was in town to appear on the Bing Crosby radio show.

Jolson was playing gin rummy with two friends, Martin Freid his arranger and accompanist and Harry Akst, a songwriter when shortly after 10:30 P.M. he collapsed.

His last words are said to have been, “Boys, I’m going.”

Since, witnesses state that Jolson haunts this suite, number 1221, the same suite that was involved in the Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle scandal years before.

St. Francis Hotel 

It is actually said three famous Hollywood Stars haunt this suite at the St. Francis, Jolson, Arbuckle and Barrymore.

From the 1920s until the 1940s Al Jolson was a famous American entertainer. His broad smile and charm became legendary.

He first became popular when he appeared in vaudeville in blackface * singing in old time minstrel shows based upon African American music.

* At this time blacks rarely appeared in front of white audiences so white entertainers would put on blackface makeup and imitate African American singers.

Jolson became a huge star when he was featured in the world’s first talking picture, The Jazz Singer in 1927. In this film he plays the son of an orthodox cantor who choses not to follow in his father’s footsteps but instead becomes a jazz singer.

This role mirrored Jolson’s real life for his father was a rabbi and cantor.

After The Jazz Singer Jolson appeared in a series of box office flops, which doomed his film career. In 1946, he had a brief comeback when he dubbed the singing for the film The Jolson Story—he however did not appear onscreen.

At the time of his death Jolson was about to launch a television career—he was viewed as “the grand old man of show business.”

Witnesses who have seen his ghost at the St. Francis state they only saw him out of the corner of their eyes for a brief second.

He is observed playing cards at a table. His attention is fixated upon the cards in front of him.

The following video shows Jolson’s last film role—a cameo in the George Gershwin’s hit Rhapsody in Blue.

He is singing in blackface—which viewed from today’s perspective, is offensive at best. But I place the video here because it is of Jolson singing Swanee, the only video of him performing this song.