Ghosts
Calico Ghost Town

The entrance to Calico Ghost Town. Photo credit: Wikipedia.
Calico Ghost Town in the Mojave Desert was once a booming gold rush town and is now a tourist attraction, campground and reportedly a home to several ghosts.
History of Calico, California
A Calico Silver Mining Crew. Photo Credit: Mojave River Valley Museum
Calico, California is a silver mining town from America’s Old West that was established around 1881. It is nestled within the Mojave Desert with the extremely hot and dry weather that comes with it.
Calico rocketed in growth from nothing to just over 3500 people in 1890. At it’s peak the town had a meat market, bars, brothels, five general stores, three hotels, three restaurants and several boarding houses.
Unfortunately for Calico the value of silver was soon to be regulated and the Silver Purchase Act of 1890 drove down the price of silver to the point that mining in the desert conditions of Calico was no longer financially viable.
The decrease in the value of silver led to many abandoning the trade for greener pastures and by 1900 Calico had become a ghost town.
Several efforts were made to revive the town but none were very successful.
In 1950 the town of Calico was purchased by Marvin Knott of Knott’s Berry Farm fame. He turned it into a tourist attraction and then gifted it to the San Bernardino County who incorporated it into their parks system.
The Ghosts of Calico
There are several ghosts said to now reside in the Calico Ghost Town. Many visitors report seeing shadowy figures in the corners of their eyes, feeling tugging on their clothing and unexplained temperature drops. Some have felt touches on their faces and hands when no one else was nearby.
Three of the most famous Ghosts are as follows:
Lucy Lane
One of Calico Ghost Town’s most famous residents it Lucy Lane. Lucy and her husband John ran one of Calico’s general stores during the town’s boom period. Like many of the towns other residents the Lanes moved away when the town began to decline in order to make a living in another town.
The Lanes missed the town they had known and loved and returned there in 1916 after it had been long abandoned. The couple lived out the remainder of their days in the now quiet surrounds of the Calico Ghost Town.
It seems fitting that her spirit would choose to stay around in Calico after she was so dedicated to the town in her life. Many visitors to Calico have reported seeing Lucy’s spirit walking between the building that was once her home and the general store. She has also been spotted inside both buildings, behind the counter in the general store and even causing the rocking chair to rock back and forth on its own in her old home. She is said to be seen wearing the same beautiful black lace dress she was buried in.
Teachers and Students in the Calico Schoolhouse
Another prominent hotspot for paranormal activity in Calico Ghost Town is the old school house. There is no record of the teachers names but their spirits are frequently seen milling about in the schoolhouse.
Shadowy figures are often seen peering out of the windows of the schoolhouse as if supervising children playing. Visitors often report seeing a red ball of light flickering around inside the schoolhouse.
Some visitors have reported hearing the ghostly footsteps of children running around or playful whispering coming from empty rooms. It seems there is still plenty of activity in the school house if you stay quiet long enough to hear it.
Tumbleweed Harris
Arguably Calico Ghost Towns most famous resident is Tumbleweed Harris. He was the last Marshal of Calico and it seems he wasn’t ready to retire even in death!
Tumbleweed is often seen walking along the boardwalks of Main Street recognized by his large frame and long white beard. His body is buried in the Calico cemetery where you can stop by and pay you respects. Some have reported feeling a ghostly hand on their shoulder while doing so.
Other Ghosts of Note
There are several other ghostly entities seen around town, including Dorsey, the mail-carrying dog, and an aggressive cowboy spirit said to haunt Hank’s Hotel. A female spirit dubbed Esmeralda is often seen wandering on the outskirts of town wearing a long white dress.
Some other places in Calico where various types of paranormal activity have been reported include Hank’s Hotel, the Calico Corral and Maggie Mine.
Calico Ghost Town Campground
Some of the facilities at Calico Ghost Town Campground
If you want to stay the night and do some ghost hunting you can stay at the Calico Ghost Town Campground. There are rooms, cabins and camping sites available so you can have a comfortable base while you see if you can have your own encounter with Calico’s Ghost population.
Make sure you bring clothes for both hot and cold weather as Calico Ghost town is scorching hot during the day but can be very cold and night time.
If you enjoyed this article you may also like to learn about La Llorona or the infamously haunted Stanley Hotel.
Further Reading
Bill Cook’s Ghostly Guide to Calico Ghost Town – Get it on Amazon
(Affiliate Link)
Ghosts
Walking Sam: The Suicide Spirit of Pine Ridge

Walking Sam: The Suicide Spirit. Photo: Ranker.
In 2015 a spree of suicides took place in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Some believe these were caused by an evil spirit called Walking Sam.
Who is Walking Sam?
An artist’s depiction of Walking Sam. Photo: Ranker
Walking Sam is known by various names, including “Tall Man” and “Stovepipe Hat Bigfoot.” He is a towering figure standing at seven feet tall and has eyes but no mouth, sometimes wearing a stove-pipe hat.
When he raises his arms, people can see the bodies of his past victims hanging beneath him. Walking Sam is said to call out to teenagers and try to convince them that they are worthless, urging them to take their own lives. Some believe that he targets young people because they are more vulnerable to his manipulations.
According to Native American legends, Walking Sam is an ancient being closely linked to “Stick Indians,” who are dark and shadowy spirit entities.
Kids grow up hearing spooky stories about these evil forces that haunt reservations and try to lure unsuspecting victims to their doom. They’re always followed by a creepy cloud of death that just hangs around them.
If you hear whistling, it might be one of these Stick Indians nearby. But if you follow the sound, you could get paralyzed, hypnotized, or even lose your mind completely.
If you disrespect them, they’ll hold a grudge and seek revenge no matter what. Some tribes are so scared of them that they won’t even talk about them, so we don’t know everything about these beings. But Walking Sam is supposed to be one of the most powerful ones.
There are those who believe that Walking Sam represents the pain and trauma that the Lakota Indians endure on a daily basis. Given the deep spiritual connection that the Lakota people have with their land and heritage, some see Walking Sam as a physical embodiment of this suffering.
The Pine Ridge Suicides
A video telling the story of Walking Sam
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is located near the Black Hills of South Dakota and is home to the Oglala Lakota tribe. It’s one of the largest Indian reservations in the US. Sadly, Pine Ridge has a sad past as hundreds of Lakota Indians were killed during the Wounded Knee Massacre.
It’s one of the poorest counties in the US. In 2015, a number of young people committed suicide on the reservation, and some people thought that supernatural forces like the legendary Walking Sam were to blame.
From December 2014 to March 2015, there were a staggering 103 suicide attempts, with nine of them being successful, and tragically, none of the victims were older than twenty-five.
The majority of those who died had used hanging as the method of suicide. Although there had been other clusters of suicides in previous years, this was the largest. As the community struggled to understand and deal with the crisis, some looked to traditional Native American beliefs for answers.
Lakota children are raised hearing stories about “suicide spirits,” “stick people,” and shadow people who try to lure young people away from their homes at night. These stories may have evolved over time, influenced by the popularity of Slender Man, into the figure now known as Walking Sam.
Walking Sam Sightings
During meetings of reservation officials, one of the topics that often comes up is Walking Sam. These officials advise reservation members to avoid walking on the streets at night as it would be an ideal time for Walking Sam to approach his victims.
Several residents have expressed concern and requested the police to keep a lookout for Walking Sam. Many residents have reported seeing his shadow and have shared their encounters with the police. Some residents have even reported hearing whistling sounds coming from nowhere.
Have you ever seen Walking Sam? Let us know in the comments.
If you enjoyed learning about Walking Sam you might also be interested in Diao Si Gui: Chinese Hanged Ghosts or La Ciguapa: The Woman with Backwards Feet.
Ghosts
Diao Si Gui: Chinese Hanged Ghosts

A Diao Si Gui or Hanged Ghost. Photo: Cryptid Wiki
According to Chinese legend, Diao Si Gui are the souls of those who took their own lives or were executed. These spirits may manifest as a body with a protruding, lengthy red tongue and attempt to persuade those who cross their path to join them in the world beyond.
The Legend of the Diao Si Gui
Diao Si Gui, or Hanged Ghosts can be created in two ways: when a person takes their own life by hanging or when they are executed by hanging as a punishment for their crimes.
The more prolonged and painful the death, such as by slow suffocation instead of a quick snap of the neck, the greater the likelihood of them becoming a Diao Si Gui.
These ghosts are said to haunt the vicinity of the location where they committed suicide and are often depicted with a noose around their neck, dangling feet, and long red tongues hanging from their mouths.
It is believed that one should avoid making eye contact with a Dio Si Gui as they may lure you into a hypnotic state and persuade you to hang yourself.
In some versions of the legend, if the ghost successfully persuades someone to hang themselves, that person becomes a Hanged Ghost while the original ghost goes free.
Other versions suggest that a Hanged Ghost is not limited to a specific location and can torment a person for days, gradually convincing them to take their own life. When the time is right, the ghost will appear to the person in a high place and lower a noose to them.
Stories About Diao Si Gui
In the Chinese Fairy Book by Dr. R. Wilhelm (1921), there is a story known as The Hanged Ghost, which tells the tale of a soldier seeking refuge for the night in an old, run-down temple.
While there, he witnesses a female ghost descending from the rafters, unaware of his presence in the shadows. Intrigued, he follows her to a farmhouse where he discovers the ghost urging a young mother and her child to hang themselves. The soldier intervenes, saving the woman’s life and causing the ghost to flee.
On his way back to the temple, the soldier takes the rope left behind by the ghost, but she appears on the road and demands that he give it back.
He refuses and wraps the rope around his arm, causing the ghost to transform and attack him. The soldier defends himself by flinging his own blood at the ghost, causing her to retreat. He continues his journey with the rope now part of his arm, unfazed by the encounter.
A video telling the tale of Diao Si Gui or hanged ghosts
Possible Explanations for the Diao Si Gui
It is possible that the legend of the hanged ghost came about as a way to help families come to terms with the unexpected suicides of their loved ones. It’s easier to believe that a loved one may have been manipulated in to killing them self by a spirit than it is to believe that they wanted to die.
Have you ever seen a Diao Sui Gui or Hanged Ghost? Let us know in the comments.
If you enjoyed learning about the Diao Sui Gui you might also be interested in the mysterious stain left behind by the body of Margaret Schilling or how the ghost of Teresita Basa solved her own murder.
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