El Campo Santo
San Diego’s second cemetery, El Campo Santo, can be found on the outskirts of Old Town. Many prominent families are represented in this small burial ground, as are some of our most notorious former residents. “Yankee Jim” Robinson of Whaley House fame is buried here, as well as Antonio Garra, a Cupeno revolutionary who was executed on the site in 1851. In 1889, the city used part of the cemetery as a public right-of-way, and in 1941 that section was paved over to become present-day San Diego Avenue. Many of the graves were left in place, and now are memorialized by small brass markers placed in the street and sidewalk. Unverified witness reports include apparitions, cold spots, mysterious lights, and difficulty starting cars that have been parked along the street.
2400 Block San Diego Avenue, San Diego, CA
Copyright 2008 Paul Chickowski
(click image for larger version)
Myths, Facts and Trivia
The cemetery hosts several large sources of electromagnetic radiation including an electrical transformer box near the Linwood Street wall.
The walled portion of the cemetery contains just a small number of the total graves in the area. The original burial ground was much larger. Some graves, such as that of the infamous Cave Couts, were moved. Not nearly all were.
Interviews with area merchants indicate that the rumor that they got together and had the area “exorcised” by the Catholic Church in the 1980's is false. Please note also that the Church does not “exorcise” places – only people.
El Campo Santo is one of many San Diego cemeteries that were partially or totally paved over without moving the graves. Others lie under the present-day Sports Arena, the SPAWAR building, and Pioneer Park.
The white picket paling fences were a commonsensical way to keep coyotes and other animals from digging up the shallow graves.
The walled portion of the cemetery contains just a small number of the total graves in the area. The original burial ground was much larger. Some graves, such as that of the infamous Cave Couts, were moved. Not nearly all were.
Interviews with area merchants indicate that the rumor that they got together and had the area “exorcised” by the Catholic Church in the 1980's is false. Please note also that the Church does not “exorcise” places – only people.
El Campo Santo is one of many San Diego cemeteries that were partially or totally paved over without moving the graves. Others lie under the present-day Sports Arena, the SPAWAR building, and Pioneer Park.
The white picket paling fences were a commonsensical way to keep coyotes and other animals from digging up the shallow graves.
About the Site
After running a public group for a few years, I decided to call it quits and focus on research and writing. Supernatural San Diego is my attempt to correct some of the worst untruths about San Diego ghosts and give you guys a chance to see photos of the sites before planning an investigation.
I've deliberately gone with a brighter, daylight approach - I was getting a little bored with everyone else's black background and clip-art ghosties. Hope that's OK with you!
I've deliberately gone with a brighter, daylight approach - I was getting a little bored with everyone else's black background and clip-art ghosties. Hope that's OK with you!
Contact
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