The town where I grew up was 95% farmland in Orange County, California, just south of Los Angeles. My family moved to the area between Huntington Beach and Westminster in 1933, the little community called Midway City, still exists, and has never had more than a population of 2000.
Large amounts of construction in houses, shopping centers, etc., did not begin until the 1960's. Most of the land had been owned by a handful of families, who actually settled Orange County beginning in the 1800's. In 1934/35 the"Garr" family was attempting to purchase a small farm owned by a German family (whose name I do not remember). The German family were fairly well off and continued to fight the "Garr" family to prevent the loss of their land. The German family had two (known) children, a daughter who was about 16/17, and a younger son of 8. The son had a "nanny" who cared for him as if he were her own, protecting him against any danger.
Sometime in the spring or early summer of 1935, the nanny and the young son went to visit the nanny's boyfriend who lived on the "Garr's" property as a tenant. They were to have spent the day at the small acreage and were to have returned at nightfall. The boyfriend claimed afterwards that they had left around 8PM, however they never arrived home, the nanny was found, dead, in a bean field two days later, the young boy was never seen again.
My grandfather told me that some of the citizens around blamed the "Garr" family for the deaths, but no evidence was ever forthcoming. In 1968 a new housing project was erected on the site where the nanny was found dead, an old well was about 1/2 a mile from there and it was filled in. Soon after the houses were occupied many of the residents began complaining about a woman who was "seen" walking through the neighborhood at night, from the point where the nanny's body was found; which was now the site of a three bedroom home; to the point where the old well had been. Some stated they could hear her calling a child's name, and some stated she was crying.
Shortly after their son's disappearance, the German family left Orange County. Apparently they moved back east. My Grandfather said he had known the father of the family, and said he was one of the kindest men he had ever known and that when they left, they took only what they could carry.
You can believe it if you like, or not. I, however know it to be true.
The entire area is completely built up now, so perhaps she can no longer be seen or heard because of the "noise" of civilization drowns her cries out.
