OCThen reader Julia shares her memories of growing up in Orange County...
I remember having so much fun when I lived in Orange County. I was born in Orange, but resided in Santa Ana. I left for Buffalo New York at age 16 but came back and resided in Anaheim from 1997-1998. I went back to Buffalo, New York and been here ever since. I'm 32 going on 33 years old and I can recall some of the great memories I had growing up.I never heard about the girl who fell from the auditorium balcony at Santa Ana High School. But I do remember singing there. I was in the choir of Santa Ana College, and one year we performed a Christmas program there, and indeed that balcony is pretty high.
I went to Carr Intermediate, Spurgeon Intermediate and graduated from there and went to Santa Ana High School as well as Valley High School. I ended up relocating and graduated from Kensington High School in Buffalo. I remember when I went to Santa Ana High School, the beautiful choirs, the cheerleading and tall flags squads, the food lol, how we had so much variety in what we wanted for lunch, which isn't like that at all here in the Buffalo school systems.
I also remember this time where there was a rumor spread about a girl who supposedly gotten killed by falling over the balcony in the auditorium during an assembly. They always said certain parts of that school where haunted. I have no idea if that was true or not but if anyone knows the truth about it or even remembers the incident, I'm still quite curious as to what happened.
I didn't stay at that school very long because of my grades, so I went on to Santa Ana Valley High School. Boy did I hate being there because it seemed like every single day I would get bombed by the birds LMAO!!! I had so many funny incidents there it was pitiful as well as sad. There were a few classmates that have passed away.
By the way I also went to Childs World Kindergarten and Lincoln Elementary School. Those were the good old days lol.
I have noticed that many posts are from people in the 1950's and 1960's, which I really find quite interesting. I'm glad I found this site and to be able to read these stories make me very homesick. Who knows, I may even come back to live one day.
I also remember the beaches that I used to go to. Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach which I really remember going to see the Queen Mary and the Spruce Goose.
And let me not forget my favorite attraction, "Knotts Berry Farm" yesss!! I liked Knotts better than Disneyland, I always have. I think its because of the Old West environment that really attracted me to it and I'll never forget the attraction "Sam and Sadie". Does anyone remember that? Is it still there?
Sooo many memories and the fast food mexican restaurants were unbelievable! Of course no one can cook right here on the East Coast lol.
The thing that I regret most is losing contact with my friends. I do have MySpace and found a couple of family members that I lost touch with, still waiting to hear back from them but it's so exciting to know that I was able to find them, so I'm guessing that I can find a few of my classmates there too.
OK! Now that I have written a book here on my life lol, I'll stop here for now and read some more of these wonderful Orange County stories!!
Blessed Be to All!!
Julia
It would be interesting to hear of ghost stories of Orange County's schools.
I'm a blogger and internet marketer, motorcycle rider, and craft beer lover.
I don't remember hearing about that but I do remember alot of kids talking about a place around Irvine (I think) where they would go and park. And when it was really quiet - - they would hear something scratching on the roof of the car. They said it was a ghostlike looking old lady with really long fingernails. I am sure that it was just the wind and leaves or branchs, but it made a good story. Just wondering if anyone remembers that story from back around 1962 - 1964. It may have gone on for years until they developed the area. It was out where things were not built up yet.
ReplyDeletei graduated from sahs 44 years ago and never heard of this story,but if you check out ghost sightings on google it comes up many times so had to be after 1965,in the mid 60s we would go up to holy jim canyon at night and were told of a big foot or wolfman creature that haunted the area,i never heard or saw anything,some said it was just someone dressed in costume who got off scaring people,but to me no one could be that stupid,your only making your self a rifle target
ReplyDeleteI went to Mater Dei High School which uses Santa Ana High School's auditorium for it's plays and musicals. (Actually, they've built up MDHS quite a bit since I graduated so they may have their own theater now.) We heard the story about the girl who died at the school and I think we called her Alice, although I don't know if that was her real name or something a classmate made up. We had some eerie experiences running around that place during productions and I'll never know if it was just us scaring ourselves or something really going on, but it felt creepy and real at the time. We were not supposed to go to the third floor dressing room because I think that was where she died or supposedly haunted. I wish I could remember how the story went but it's been too long. :) I told the story to a good friend of mine whose brother in law works at the high school now, and he didn't seem surprised when I mentioned it. I'd love to see Ghost Hunters go check it out.
ReplyDeletei went to sahs from 83-87 my brother went there from 79-83 he had drama class in old auditorium and said they would hear odd nioses and lights would come on and off the paino would play by itself i never heard or saw anyting myself i used to go the third floor and heard nothing and i believe he did say they called her alice
ReplyDeleteI just graduated from santa ana hs this year and I have actually seen the ghosts at the school. It was after a wrestling tournament late at night and the hallways were dark. And suddenly at the end of the hall we see something walk by really fast. But it was only the outline of something. So it could have just been our shadows. But either way it was really scary.
ReplyDeleteMy gf was in cheer and when they took their pictures near an outside halleY a face appears in the hallway and then disappears in the next picture
ReplyDeletei attend santa ana high school and i have heard about the story of the girl who died there she was in the balcony of the additorium waitin so see if her parents got there and she felt down and other people say that her boyfriend push her also some people say that before a performance you can see that on stage it says GOOD LUCK and that after its over the thing on the floor is gone
ReplyDeleteMY NAME IS STEPHANIE ZARAGOZA IM CURRENTLY 18 YEARS OLD!! I ATTENDED SANTA ANA HIGH FOR MA FRESHMAN,SOPHMORE, AND HALF OF MA JR YEAR UNFORTUNALLY I DIDIDNT GRADUATE WITH AM CLASS..09THATS SOMETHING THAT I REGRET AND ALWAYS WILL.. I HAVE SO MANY FUN MEMORIES IN THAT SCHOOL.. SANTA ANA IS REALLY A GREAT SCHOOL WITH GREAT TEACHER,ANY HOW ABOUT THE HUNTED STORIES THAT HAVE GONE AROUND SCHOOL I HAVE HEARED THEM AND I REALLY WONDER IF THERE TRUE, IVE HEARED THE STORY WITH THE GURL WHOM DIED IN THE ADITURIUM, ALSO THE GUY THAT DIED IN THE POOL THIS WAS ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO MA BROTHER WAS ATTENDING SCHOOL AT THAT TIME.. IVE HONESTLY A BELIEVER OF GHOST IVE HAD PERSONAL EXPIRENCES THAT SUPPPORT MA BELIEVE.. IVE THOUGHT ABOUT CALLING TAPS A GHOST HUNTER TEAMN TO INVESTIGATE SANTA ANA HIGH.. IF I DO I WILL HAVE TO GET PERSONAL PERMISION TO DO SO..I HOPE I DO THAT WAY WE WILL ALL KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPEND IN THAT SCHOOL N OUR CURIOUSITY WILL END.. N ITS WUN OF MA GOALS THAT I WILL ACOMPLISH
ReplyDeleteYou should have stayed in school....you can't spell to save your life
DeleteHi, I attended Santa Ana HS during 1972-1976, and was very active in choir and drama during '75 and '76. The story is that Alice was the lead actress in a play at the school. She had gone up to the organ loft which is located at the end of the dressing room on the top floor. You have to open the smaller door at the far wall and there is a cement slab there that only goes half way into the loft. Beyond the slab is a drop off to the auditorium ceiling. The story is that Alice had accidently fallen through the ceiling and landed on the chairs in the auditorium many stories below and was killed. There is a tradition in the theatre there. Opening night, the lead actress (I've done this)must go up to the organ loft, say hello to Alice and ask her to be with the production and give it good luck. You then are to say a prayer and leave. Legend is if this is not done, the show will a disaster. Stories include stage hands injured by rising back drops, etc. I have personal experience of Alice and I can say first hand that there is definitely a spirit that remains in the theatre. The story is a bit long to share here, but it's a good one. Still gives me goose bumps to tell it. I also would love it if Ghost Hunters paid the school a visit.
ReplyDeleteTo anonymous Oct. 30, Thank you for the very interesting info! Lots of superstitions in the theatre, from what I've heard. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletewow interesting .... great story i remeber going to that theatre to watch the disney orcestra... im 26 years old already i move to reno nv got merried and have 2 wounderful children to my 2002 saddleback class mates you can find me on myspace oc girl ... jessica izquierdo :O)god bless you all :O)
ReplyDeleteHi! I went to SAHS from 1993 to 1997. The auditorium was always part of my school life with being in chambers, orchestra, ASB, and helping with drama productions. Anyway, in response to the anonymous post on Oct 30th.....you got it pretty much correct except the way I was told the "official" unofficial story from the stage manager at the time, Alice was the lead in the first production ever held in the auditorium and just like you described she went up to the 3rd floor dressing room and climbed onto the support beams to look down at the auditorium through the ceiling fixtures to see if her boyfriend and parents had arrived, but unfortunately lost her balance, fell off the beam and broke through the plaster falling and hitting her head on the orchestra pit railings. If you face the stage and look up at the right corner of the ceiling you can see the supposed patch job, unless they finally fixed it. Also, the tradition in the 90s was for the female lead to go to the 3rd floor dressing room and leave a rose for Alice.
ReplyDeleteI personally experienced several episodes that I just can't explain so draw your own conclusions.
Hi My Name is Juan and was there in my freshmen year, I was in orchestra so i got to do a few concerts, When i attended SAHS i remember my Orchestra teacher telling us about Alice, He told us that she fell from the top of the roof of the theater down to the stage, many of you might remember it was high as well as the balcony. I remember when i got the tour it was scary, especially the stairs that took you up to the top of the stage. It was so narrow. But i must say i had a great time there and i miss it so much, i moved to las vegas on my 2nd week of sophmore year. I wish i could have finish school in SAHS.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI attended SAHS from 1995 to 1998. My life also was all about that infamous place they say is hunted. i worked on productions for the school plays and was in concert band as well as many other things that happened there. Yes it is true that the lead roll was to go up there and leave a rose. So by the time they were done with all the shows all would go well. And they did.
Go Saints.......
Garden Grove High has a famous ghost. She is a girl who died during the 1930s Earthquake. She is still seen by students and staff. They even put her on You Tube ! Does anyone who went to "Grove"(GGHS)in the mid 70s remember "Mongie" ? He climbed up a Telephone Pole in a school yard at night. We all used to go see him at night before the Cops kicked us out.
ReplyDeletehello everyone, I attended SAHS my freshman yr in 1995. I actually went on the "Tour" done by one of the custodians. It took you to the higher levels of the auditorium and were really creepy! It all looked pretty old and dusty, that was the dressing room i believe. But i recall a small window those they use for light to come in and it had Alice's name on it.Like if she had wrote her name with her finger on the dust. and it was done throuh the outside because the custodian tried cleaning it and he couldnt....oooohh lol. true story...But I miss Santa Ana, OC!!! I Live in Las Vegas Now But Santa AnA will Always be home!!!
ReplyDeleteITS NOT REAL PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU LAIRS
ReplyDeleteGET A LIFE!
The person who wrote "You Lairs!" Obviously is still ONLY 5 years old! Can't spell woth sh.....
ReplyDeleteWow That's So Scaryy! My Sister Told Me About It, But I Never Believed It, Now I Do!!...BTW I Might Be Going To SAHS :O
ReplyDeleteI got quite a kick out of the comments about "Alice". I graduated from SAHS in 1966 - I spent many hours behind the stage, and on the stage, during my three years there. Hate to tell you younger folks, but Alice must have decided to haunt the auditorium after I graduated, because the story wasn't going around when I was there.
ReplyDeleteI do remember the stories about the ghost who haunted the old El Toro Cemetery. I don't rmemember her name, or remember why she haunted the area, - seems to me that it had something to do with a baby or a long lost love. You might find her hovering over your car as you drove down the road, or hanging around the grave stones. You could also hear her moaning. I got the stories second hand from my brother who graduated in 1960.
Anonomous May 27, 2010. Wondering if you might have known of my husband who graduated 1963. He was the tennis star on the team and had a lot of trophys. Good guy who is gone now.
DeleteWas he the team captain?
Deleteim goin to be a junior year at sahs and ive heard about alice. and i also hears about some girl that got dumped by her boyfriend and she hung herself from the second floor, their is also a teacher that was working during spring break and she got a heart attack and she died but yeah is preatty scary
ReplyDeleteMy fiance is doing a job at Santa Ana high and his co-workers have told him stories of seeing a girl while they are working and even one of them saying they felt someone touch them.
ReplyDeletei just graduate fromm SAHS clas of 2010!!!! it is a great school lotz of fun memories!..anyways i use to be in drama class and our teacher wouldnt let us go to the third floor my classmates said it was because of the accident that happened there! i bealive the girl name was alice my classmates called her like that. one day we went up to the third floor just for fun and we took picture of the place it was really creapy there was a door lock with a bunch of locks we took a picture and a wear shadow showd up idk if it was made by the flash or something but it look sacary! my friend still have the pictures that we took there idk if its true about alice but what iam sure is that wear things happen not only in the auditoriumm but in the whole school...
ReplyDeletei atend to santa ana high school im a sophomore and i actually heard of the ghost mr. lara a speech teacher told my friend and she told me that in building taht is being reconstucted a teacer named alice died in the year 1972 and her ghost still wonders around there
ReplyDeleteI attended SAHS from 2000-04 and have in fact heard of this story. I used to be in choir and i remember one of our winter performances we were told by that everyone performing had to be seated in the balcony unless it was your turn to perform. I remember i was with 3 of my friends and when we were going to sit i was the last one when i felt someone push me and i remember seen everyone at the bottom and tought to myself i was gonna fall down but one of the girls saw and grabbed me to pull me back and asked what happened and if i tripped and i said no someone pushed me and she said thats not possible no one was behind you you were the last one. This is when i believed that story and didnt think it was just a legend.
ReplyDeleteI went to Santa Ana and i heard that Alice is been around. I personally think that is true because i heard something in the hallways in the night. That was not the only thing i've felt something shoved me it the auditorium..believe it if u will!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why but it seems to me such a surprise that someone could go from a small ghetto town like Santa Ana and get to Buffalo, NY. I still live here. -14 year old high school student
ReplyDeleteCheck out the "Costa Mesa Ghost Girl" video on youtube.
ReplyDeleteWow for some of the most recent posts of recent graduates from SAHS or current students they seem to not know how to spell or use proper grammar... Sigh
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Gloria I did not go to sahs I went to mountain view 07 my husband is currentlu working in the auditorium for construction I've never heard of this till 1month ago just this week said he hAd. A steep ladder by a stairway(about 5 feet) n someone pushed it down the stairs. And a lot of he's coworkers heard something
ReplyDeleteElenita RIP did die falling from the balcony
ReplyDeleteI went to SAHS it 1999 and i heard that story as well of a young girl that got pushed and die at the auditorium
ReplyDeleteThis is true im a student at SAHS and Mr.Lara still tells the story about "Alice" the girl who died and hunts the auditoriumm. Im gong to contact TAPS to check this out!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI would like to know that its true that the old doctors hospital is haunted to because I live near by it in the lates 1990s a friend would tell me that its was closing I seen ghost and I work at a hospital that was closed and haunted too so learn alot
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather attended SAHS in the 30s, my mom graduated in 1958, and I attended SAHS and graduated in 1983. I was involved in Drama, and music. Spent many hours on that stage and roaming the vast areas above and below the pit. (I dream it now and then, actually...) And yes, the tales of Alice were rampant. And we all loved that they she was part of the scene. I recall during one talent show, the cat who was our Sammy Saint (wild curly blonde hair,) at the time seduced me into climbing the stairs with him up to the third floor on the pretext of looking for spirits. He had other things on his mind! I was interested in the ghost. And also a tad young too know what his intentions were. I look back on that and think: You IDIOT! Most popular dude at school, hello, tryin' to get a little sugar.
ReplyDeleteBut I was clueless, and I think we descended the stairs and joined the rest of the kids without him so much as laying a hand on me. Damn. I need a do-over on that one! :)
Tis true...youth is wasted on the young.
SAHS has changed a great deal, but I fondly recall Bill and Chuck, and Elwood, and Patty Whitesides...all such good folks. I see what kids are like today, how they speak, what they have to say, and all the pressure they are under...and I am resolutely glad I grew up when I did.
I never heard the story about alice...but I worked on an ancient phone system they had there (stepper) part of which was located in the auditorium...everytime I went in there I could feel a presense and always felt I was being watched or that I wasn't alone in there
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