The Gilded Ghosts of Santa Cruz's Golden Gate Villa

Golden Gate Villa is said to be cursed, haunted, and steeped in violence. The the story goes that a man who was in love with his step-daughter and murdered her and committed suicide when he couldn't have her for himself...but what does the historic record actually say? In this episode, we look into the life and times of Major Frank McLaughlin; learning about the man behind the murder to better understand the motivations behind his horrific crime.

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SOURCES

“Agnes L. McLaughlin (1875-1907) - Find a Grave...” n.d. Accessed February 14, 2026. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143555501/agnes_l-mclaughlin.

Dormanen, Susan. n.d. “The Golden Gate Villa.” Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Accessed September 10, 2021. https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/dac12ae750afce922632b1d9a1f17930.pdf.

Gillespie, Metzgar &. Kelley. 1896. “Our Home Defenders.” Still image. United States. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b53219.

Herald, Los Angles. 1916. Deutsch:  Francisco Villa Auf Seinem Hengst Sieben Meilen Vor Seiner División Del Norte, Nördlich von Ojinaga, Chihuahua. January. Archivo General de la Nación Weekly journal-miner. March 15, 1916. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Francisco_Villa.gif.

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Johnston, Frances Benjamin. 1897. “McKinley & Cabinet.” Still image. United States. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/89708610/.

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Tom Brezsny, dir. 2012. Golden Gate Villa - 924 Third Street Santa Cruz California - Lavishly Ornamented Victorian. 5:46. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jd72cnY_6E.

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Zirkel, Kenneth C. 2023. English:  Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, Buffalo New York. October 14. Own work. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Theodore_Roosevelt_Inaugural_National_Historic_Site.jpg.