Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Charlie Parker

From a docent's point of view this is a great story. Here you have a woman who comes out West and becomes a stagecoach driver, shoots, fights, cusses, and drinks right along side "the guys" and (though she didnt grow a beard when many men did) very few people suspected she was a woman. Apparently, a family found out when she got drunk once and the son came back from helping "him" to go to bed telling the family "thats a woman!" lol


Actress Karen Kondarzian has written a novel about Charley Parker and has discussed the possibility of making it into a movie, "The Whip."




Charley Parker drove a stagecoach from San Juan Bautista to Santa Cruz. She reportedly "retired" and ran a stagecouch station in the Aptos area and finally died of throat cancer in 1879. 


Two books, "The Strange Life and Times of Charley Parkhurst" by Daniel M. Hall, and "The Coachman was a Lady" by Mabel Rowe Curtis (1959) give an interesting outlook on this legend. If she was a lady, she cussed and fought, she might have laughed at that title. She was a tough woman, thats for sure. 



Charlotte Parkhurst (reportedly) was born New England, 1812-1879, was a famous person of the "Wild West" and a local "legend". There has been alot written about "her", since he was a she. She wore pleated blouses to mask her "figure". Apparently she had quite a "woman" figure and few people knew of it until her death.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Ghosts of San Juan Bautista: My Start to Research

                                                The Zanetta House
                                           This was the home of the owner of the Plaza Hotel and Saloon. It is also
                                            where the "ghost" of Elizabeth the granddaughter of the owner has been
                                            a few times. A young girl in a white dress, who has been seen to vanish
                                            when seen or walk through walls.

                                             This is "Downtown" San Juan Bautista near the Cutting Horse where the
                                          Ghost Walk of San Juan Bautista Pts 1-2 were filmed. The Cutting Horse
                                          Restaurant is now closed. Pictures of the interior can be seen "on-line."

                                              This is the back porch of the Zanetta House and the entrance for San Juan
                                          Bautista park visitors. In the hallway of this building Elizabeth has been
                                          seen. She is the most famous ghost on this state grounds.



Ghost Walk of San Juan Bautista: Part 1-2 and Hpi Chronicles the Ghosts of San Juan Bautista by
Paul Dale Roberts (2008) are both featured "on line" and can be seen using the Google search engine.

Basically the Rotary International supported the "Ghost Walk" hosted by Ms. Kleinsmith (2008).
Its a walk and interview of people of San Juan Bautista who have seen or have talked to others who have felt "chills" and heard "knocks" and "hoverings" around them, as "images" appear around them, sometimes in bed or seeing images in windows. The smell of smoke or breezes through the house on a calm day, that kind of things was observed.

The "Hpi Chronicles" (www.yourghostories.com) has the same events on their website as in the video on U Tube. One of our "ex rangers" was interviewed, Sheryl Neufeld, and she tells of the "siting" of Elizabeth.

I thought the one time she told me of the hearing (herself) of the (she thought) Breen children running around in the second story floor while she was on the first floor. She told me how she hear them "running back and forth."

Sheryl did show a picture of "orbs" seen in a picture in the second story room. This is in the room where the movie Vertigo was filmed, FYI.

The scaryist story Ive heard was from a park ranger who while in a second story room of the  Plaza Hotel, moved his chair up to see a video of the park with another ranger and after the viewing of the film turned around and the rest of the furniture had moved up next to them during the film. They got out of the room really quick.

                                               The Plaza Hotel and Castro-Breen House

In both of these buildings there was been seen or heard "ghost" activity. The moving of furniture in the building on the right, and hearing of childrens feet running around on the left. There was also a documented picture of a digital camera shot with a "face" appearing (on the film) of an undetermined man in the middle of the Saloon, though the door on the lower right corner of the Plaza Hotel.


         

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Plaza History Association Newsletter: San Juan Bautista Historic Park

March 10: New Volunteer Orientation
School Kid Help Days: March 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 27, 29, and 30.
April 7: Next PHA Board Meeting 9:30 Plaza Hotel
April 12: Hollister Free Library 95th Birthday 5-6 pm Hollister Library

Happy 30th Anniversary PHA

Note: I realize that this is my 16th year with this San Juan Bautista History Association/Plaza Association and Ive been involved with it for over half of its existence. Only one person was present at our Annual "Mandatory" Meeting. He got a nice "hand."

There will be a New Volunteer Orientation on March 10, 2002 from 9:30-3:00 pm at the Plaza Hotel.

Orientation Break Orientation Continued Lunch on your own quick overview of history Break and a facilities tour.

There will be docent manuals for newcomers.

Contact: Nikki Combs (831-623-2753) or acombs@parks.ca.gov

Monday, March 5, 2012

First Saturday March

Our March First Saturday was well attended. We sold alot of soda and we have alot of visitors. We had a couple play music for us in the bar. Its was wonderful.

I attended the Board Meeting at 9:30, worked for the four hours in the bar and then attended the "all member meeting" afterwards. We voted for the volunteer of the year.

I sat next to our Secretary and listened to our President and various Park Rangers discuss the needs of the park. We have thousands of visitors yearly. Many of these visitors are school children.

The Plaza Association funds signs, support volunteer help with the gardens, and finance members going to state sponsored seminars. We have a reading of the previous months Minutes, listen to our Treasurer's Report, have a Ranger's Report, Park Interpreter's Report, Museum Shop Report, Membership Report, Correspondence, Old Business and New.

My blog got in the Minutes. lol