Flora Somerton - Nob Hill's Famously False Urban Legend

Last Halloween, when I was driving my son home from work, and happened to be switching radio stations, I heard the mention of a "lady in white" frequently sighted in Nob Hill, San Francisco. The name of this alleged specter was presumed to be Flora Somerton.

The story relayed over the airwaves was brief but mentioned that the young lady mysteriously disappeared from a ball one night in 1876, only to be discovered 50 years later, dead in the same dress she had been seen wearing the night she vanished. The DJ was not very clear about what had happened to Flora during those 50 years. Was she dead all that time and they only discovered her body 50 years later? Or did she die 50 years later? I was intrigued by this story, even the just the small tidbits I heard over the radio, so I decided to go home and see if there was any truth to this story or not.

First, I searched her name and every variation of it: Flora Somerton, Flora Sommerton and Flora Summerton. Besides the many links to websites mentioning the story in almost a scripted, (copied and pasted) regurgitation of the same story, there was not one website that cited any concrete sources of where they got their information. It appears that each person copied from the other person, and so on, leaving the internet inundated with sites mentioning her story, but not really detailing facts.

Several "paranormal" authors mention her story as fact in their books, claiming that she was a real person who really disappeared in 1876. They go on to state that she was engaged to be married to someone her parents set up (basically betrothed), and that at her "coming out" ball she took off and disappeared. Several writers claim that her family were socialites in San Francisco's high society and that they offered large rewards for any information leading to Flora. There are mentions of $250,000.00 being offered as a reward from her family, as well as noting that the newspapers all over the country published this mystery.  Then the story goes on that nearly 50 years later, an indigent woman going by the name "Mrs. Butler" dies in Butte, Montana, and that when her body is discovered, she is found with the dress and newspaper clippings about Flora's disappearance in 1876. Allegedly the authorities put two-and-two together, leading to the conclusion Mrs. Butler is actually Flora Somerton and she is brought back to her family plot to be buried.

The ghost story surrounding Flora claims that she haunts California Street, between Jones and Powell Streets, where she once lived. This is close to the Fairmount Hotel. She is known as the "Ghost Bride of Nob Hill" or the "Lady in White."

In theory the alleged history of this woman's story sounds interesting, but I could not find any facts to substantiate any of these claims. Although these previous writers claim there were newspaper articles laying out the entire story from her disappearance to the discovery of her body half a century later, none of these writers ever cite the sources they used to base their conclusions on.

I diligently searched every archive database I could find and came up with no newspaper articles of that time period showing that any woman named Flora Somerton had been missing, nor were there any records in Butte, Montana, showing her death, or the death of this "Mrs. Butler," in 1926.

In reality, it appears that there was no Flora Somerton (spelled any way you try)....and if there had been, she did not live in San Francisco. There are no records of birth, death, census records, voting registries, nothing with Flora's name or anything that remotely comes close to it. The only newspapers that mention her at all are ones that mention the legend, the ghost stories, not the events that supposedly took place in 1876.

In my research I did find one family with that name, although they spelled their last name as Summerton. They also lived in San Francisco. The 1880 Census shows the father's name was George Summerton, and his wife, Matilda. George had two daughters from his first wife, Susan. Their names were Amelia and Elizabeth; however, neither one of the daughters disappeared. Another thing to note, the family did live in Nob Hill, but not on California Street. The Summerton's residence was located at 1417 Hyde Street, in between Jackson and Washington Streets, but again, these young ladies did not go missing.

I hate to rain on anyone's parade but there are no records or documented facts that prove Nob Hill's infamous "lady in white" was this woman Flora Somerton. Again, it is highly unlikely this woman "Flora" ever existed at all.  The "lady in white" stories go back centuries, leading us back into ancient folklore from Europe, such as France's "Les Dames Blanches." This tale is among the most popular in urban legend folklore that I have found in my research and writing. It appears every region has their own story of a mysterious "lady in white."

So in ending....whatever is roaming California Street in the dark of night and whatever you choose to believe it to be, one thing is for sure: it isn't Flora Somerton.


(Copyright 2016 -- J'aime Rubio  www.jaimerubiowriter.com)
Originally published on the blog, Dreaming Casually (10/15/2016)
Republished on 4/8/2018

Lost into the Sea - The Tragic Story of Agnes Jaycoax

Cypress Point, 1908

I took a trip down the coast of California recently. While I was there admiring the scenery, I thought of a story I began researching a few years back. I had started to work on it, but sat it aside to finish at a later time due to my busy schedule.

The story was of a Sacramento school teacher named Agnes Jaycoax. I had first heard about her on a website where someone mentioned that her death seemed suspicious. It was also thrown around that perhaps she had committed suicide and that her death was not an accident as the papers said. I really wanted to get down to the facts of the story but became side tracked with other investigations and every day life, and so Agnes' story was shelved temporarily.

So as I mentioned above, while on a trip down the coast I started thinking about Agnes again and decided that now was the time to write her story, finally.

Who Was Agnes Jaycoax?

Agnes Jaycoax was born Agnes L. Stevenson, in New York on June 12, 1846. The Census records I found for 1850, show Agnes (age 4) living with Susannah (age 38), Elizabeth (age 48), Mary (age 50) and Head of Household, James Stevenson (age 70) who was a physician.  Their neighbors were also named "Stevenson," so it is safe to assume they were related. There is no roles listed in the Census so we are not sure how any of them are related to Agnes, although Elizabeth is buried near Agnes at Sacramento City Cemetery, so I believe she was Agnes' mother.

Agnes and Charles Edward Jaycoax (sometimes spelled Jaycox) were married at some point in the late 1860's.  The Census records show they lived in Placerville, where Charles worked as a landscaper and painter. Agnes worked as a school teacher in the basement of the old Methodist church on Main Street. On December 1, 1869, Agnes gave birth to a son, Burgess Bonte Jaycoax. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Sheldon, California. It was in Sheldon that baby Burgess grew very ill and later passed away from "brain congestion," on August 11, 1872. He was only 2 years, 8 months and 11 days old.

It appears that after the death of their son, Agnes and Charles' marriage fell apart. Charles went back to El Dorado County while Agnes chose to move to Sacramento. The 1874 Sacramento Directory shows Agnes as a "grammar school teacher" and living on the West Side of 7th Street in between K and L Streets. By 1876, Agnes was living between 10th and 11th streets on  I Street.

Losing her child must have devastated her, although I believe that keeping busy with the children she taught at school may have been the best thing to keep her spirits up. In fact, she was loved by her pupils so much that they bestowed the greatest gift, a golden watch as a token of their love and appreciation for their teacher. The feeling was mutual for Agnes. In fact, the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper proves this when she published a message to her students thanking them for such a wonderful gift.

Sac Daily Union, 5/16/1874

On March 9, 1876 the 6th District Court gave Agnes a divorce decree from Charles. Agnes continued her teaching in Sacramento, later being promoted to Vice Principal at Sacramento City High School in June of the same year. Only 30 years old, divorced and now a Vice Principal of a high school,  it seemed that her life was on its way to become even greater. Sadly this was not the case.

Tragedy Strikes

On the night of July 3, 1876, after visiting friends on the coast at Cypress Point near Monterey, Agnes reached the end of the line. Eye witness accounts claimed that she had ran out onto the rocks and was blissfully taking in the beautiful scenery when sudden waves struck her causing her to lose her balance, and falling into the cold waters.

One of the members of the group was quoted with this statement:

"Mrs. Jaycoax, venturing out too far on the rocks, was washed to sea by the waves.  I was not in sight of her at the time, When I reached the embankment she was already floating. We watched the body till it disappeared from sight. Mr. Jacks took off some of his clothes, but being assured that it was sure death to undertake her rescue, desisted....The party consisted of four ladies, two gentleman, and a boy, all of whom, except myself, saw her swept away. I was told that the second wave swept her off, and that she made little or no outcry. The body floated off and finally disappeared alltogether."--- Sac Daily Union, July 14, 1876

Honestly, I think they should have let Mr. Jacks go in after her. A gentlemen risks his life for another, and I wonder if that haunted him the rest of his life that he allowed the group to stop him from what he was compelled to do? Yes, he may have lost his life in the process but he would have died knowing he was doing the right thing, trying to save another person. I have often wondered just what type of friends they really were to Agnes, knowing she fell in and yet no one attempted to go in after her?

It took some time but Agnes' body washed up at the mouth of the Salinas River, 15 miles north of where she had fell into the sea.  The son of property owner, Mr. Keating discovered Agnes' body on July 6th. Her body appeared to be in good condition for a corpse, with the only mark noticed being on her knee. Another thing that Mr. Keating noticed was that she had on her person, a golden watch. I believe this was the same watch that her students had gifted her in 1874.  Mr. Keating, along with Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Williamson, retrieved the body and brought it to town where it was properly identified and returned to Sacramento for burial.

Agnes' mother had died earlier that year, and so Agnes was then buried next to her mother and her infant son, Burgess, who had died just four years earlier. The headstone that sits on top of Agnes' grave was donated by her students who raised the money to have it placed there. The scroll on a small marker cites her name and age, as well as date of death. On the top sits a dove holding an olive branch. The dove symbolizes peace, while the branch symbolizes Agnes' untimely or premature death.

Conclusion


When I was out at the beach recently, not too far from where Agnes died, I witnessed the same beauty Agnes witnessed over a century earlier. I was compelled by joy and overtaken by the sheer beauty of nature and the sea, that I ran out to the waves myself. I could understand how she felt just moments leading up to her death. I am sure she had no idea how dangerous it actually was, being so close to the water. Standing on those rocks, as those waves slowly crept in, perhaps around high tide, she just was too close and lost her balance.

Did she kill herself? I don't think so. Do I think her death could have been prevented? Yes. I think her friends gave up to easily and that cost Agnes her life. I wonder what those people in that group thought of themselves after that tragic day. Did they feel bad? Did they move on with their lives, and never give it a second thought? From the way it appeared in the papers, the only one who seemed truly concerned was Mr. Jacks.  Was he her male suitor? Did he care for her? So many questions, and not enough answers.

I believe that although Agnes faced many hardships in her life: the loss of a child, a failed marriage, the death of her mother, she also experienced great joys. She was needed by her students, by the school and by all those who looked to her as an anchor of security, knowledge and stability. Her own words published in the newspaper just two years earlier said it all by showing she liked to focus on what the future held for her, and her incentive to get there. That watch represented great memories of the past and for the future. She had that on her when she died. It just doesn't seem logical to me that she would purposely end her life, then and there, at that time.

If you ever stop by the Historic Sacramento City Cemetery, please stop by Agnes' grave in Section 63. Remember her as the dedicated teacher, the mother who suffered the loss of her own baby, the daughter who lost her mother and remember that tragic day she lost her own life, into the sea.

Rest In Peace, Agnes!

TO READ MORE ABOUT AGNES JAYCOAX'S  LIFE AND DEATH, INCLUDING MANY MORE MYSTERIOUS AND BIZARRE STORIES PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF "STORIES OF THE FORGOTTEN: INFAMOUS, FAMOUS & UNREMEMBERED." 


(Copyright 2015- J'aime Rubio)

Sources:

Family Search
Ancestry.com
Sacramento City Directories
U.S. Census
Great Register
Sac Daily Union
3/10/1876, 8/15/1872, 5/16/1874, 7/14/1876
Marysville Daily Appeal
7/7/1876