Episode 67. The Ghost of Stow Lake and Carrie Nation

Oy with the Terror Podcast

In this week's episode Sandra talks about the Ghost of Stow Lake. Located in The Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA, the ghost of Stow Lake is a local legend that has been around for over one hundred years. In one version of the tale a young girl in the Victorian era was in a row boat with her baby when the baby fell into the lake. She jumped in after the baby and unfortunately both drowned. In another version of the story a young girl was walking in the park with her baby, sat down and started talking with another woman. After some time the pram fell into the lake. Not realizing the baby was in the lake, the young girl ran around asking people if they saw her baby. She later found the baby in the lake and supposedly drowned. Today, people have had sightings of her since 1908. People say that a ghost in a white dress with fair hair will come up to you asking if you have seen her baby. If you say yes, she will haunt you, if you say no she will kill you.

Then, Danielle discusses the charismatic, and forceful, Carrie Nation. She was also known as Carry A. Nation. She was a part of the temperance movement and was staunchly anti-alcohol. She believed drinking brought out all the wickedness in men. When Carrie didn't think preaching in the streets was making a big enough impact she decided to take a more physical approach. She would go to various saloons and smash all the bottles with a hatchet. The public was both scared and fascinated by this woman.

Sandra's Sources:

https://abc7news.com/stow-lake-ghost-sf-white-lady-story/5618930/

https://goldengatepark.com/golden-gate-park-lakes.html

https://goldengatepark.com/stow-lake-ghost.html

https://rootsrated.com/san-francisco-ca/road-running/golden-gate-state-park-stow-lake-running

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/californias-creepiest-urban-legends/

Speakeasy link: https://prohibition.themobmuseum.org/wp_quiz/speakeasies/#:~:text=Speakeasies%20received%20their%20name%20as,quietly%20while%20inside%20the%20bars.

Danielle's Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/prohibition-alcohol-interdict

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/09/carry-nation-biography-reasons-for-activism.html

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