Ghost Lady Walks Olivas Adobe

By Richard Senate

She was scared. One could see that in her eyes that night. I had seen that look many times in the past. It was the look of a person who had seen a ghost, a frightening ghost.

The young woman in question was a volunteer helping during one of the ghost tours offered at thehistoric Olivas Adobe in Ventura, California, and her job was to greet the public as they came in. Those who took the tour that night did see things and managed to take pictures of mysterious “orbs” in the old 1847 hacienda that night, but the poor volunteer got the worst of it. I doubt she will volunteer again.

She was alone at the gate to the parking lot with her clip board. Her job was to greet people and check them in from the sign-up list. She later said she felt odd as if someone or something was watching her. Then, something caught her eye. She turned and, by the flagpole, not ten feet away, she saw a woman standing there. The figure was wearing a long white dress and had long black hair that hung below her shoulders. The most startling thing about the woman were her eyes--she had none! The place were eyes should be were nothing but bloody pits, as if her eyes were cruelly ripped away by some fiend. The figure of the eyeless phantom then slowly vanished.

Over the years there have been many sightings of ghosts at the historic Olivas Adobe, but no one has ever told of such a horrific apparition. Not long after that encounter, one of the women on the tour inside the house asked who was on the site, because she saw a woman with long hair and a long white dress from the balcony. The woman was walking in the rose garden! Who is the mysterious Lady in White and what happened to her eyes?

Richard Senate With MarShan Video Productions

An answer came from another group that visited the site months after the sightings of the mysterious lady.
They found the upstairs children’s room most active with cold spots and thing even moving. A sort of code was set up using dowsing rods. From this crude attempt at spirit communication a bizarre story came forth.

The ghost, spirit or essence called herself Maria and she confessed to be a Native American servant girl who once worked at the house. The house needed many servants to operate and many were former Native Americans from the California Missions. She said that she was murdered in the house and buried not far away. A Yankee visited the ranch and was a guest of the Olivas Family. He saw Maria and wanted her. He presented the young girl with simple gifts and fancy words. At last, he lured her into the storage room off the kitchen. When she complained, he took a knife and cut out her eyes! After he had his way with her, the Yankee strangled her, hiding the body under some bags of goods. He then left the hacienda, riding south toward Los Angeles.

The cook found the body not an hour after the killer had left and alerted the family. They were livid that their hospitality was repaid with such barbarism. The Olivas son’s mounted their fine thoroughbred horses and went in pursuit. Their fine animals caught up to the fleeing Yankee near Saticoy Springs. One of the sons, a skilled vaquero, lassoed the murderer by the neck and pulled him from the saddle. They dragged him back to the adobe where the victim’s father waited in tears. He ran to what was left of the Yankee and stabbed him in the heart. The killer was, most likely, dead at this time, but vengeance was called for. The murderer’s body was tossed into the quick sand of the near-by Santa Clara River and never found.

Not one bit of evidence exists that this story is true, but, justice was swift in old California and such a reaction seems in keeping with the times. The ghostly presence said that she was glad that justice was swift and her abuser and murderer was slain. Is this the answer to the story of the eyeless ghost woman? Who can say? Many times, when a ghost can tell their tale they just vanish away. Let’s hope the ghost woman has moved on to a better place, that place we all must go when our time comes.

Also See: Richard Senate's Top Thirteen Haunted Places in Southern California and where you can spot a ghost! Richard Senate's Top Thirteen Haunted Places in Southern California and where you can spot a ghost.

About Richard Senate

Richard Senate is one of the top ghost investigators of our generation. He is an "Historian And Ghost Stalker" author of several prominent books on ghosts and paranormal phenomenon, and has appeared on just about every paranormal television and radio show there is.

California-based author and lecturer. 59 years of age--old enough to know better.
His official web site at www.ghost-stalker.com . Author of Ghost Stalker's Guide To Haunted California (Mass Market Paperback) by Richard Senate (Author), Jane E. Gilbert (Editor, Photographer), John Whyman (Author)

Also see: 20 QUESTIONS WITH Richard Senate

Free Large Image Ghost Photo Gallery

PARANORMAL TASK FORCE™
"Your One Stop Paranormal Resource Center"