Author:
Leigh Anne Bloomer
In
1920, a new dam was built in Pasadena, California. The dam was built to control
the Arroyo Seco, a seasonal river that often led to serious floods around the
area. The Arroyo Seco is a very powerful river when the season is right, but
when it’s not, the area seems to be very dried out. During the dry season, as
people view the dam and the surrounding area, they start to notice a
mysteriously shaped rock formation. Next to the gate that leads to the dam
itself, there is what appears to be a devil’s face with horns coming out of the
canyon. This is the reason the dam is named the Devil’s Gate Dam.
Soon
after the dam was completed, there started to be a lot of talk about the
reasons why the dam was given such a profound name. Many people believed
various situations that could have led to the naming of the dam, but one sticks
out from all the rest.
 |
“The rock
formation in the shape of a devil’s face located next the dam’s gate.”
|
In
the days of the Native Americans, the area surrounding the dam was considered
an evil or haunted place, and was banned from any visitors. The reason as to
why the Native Americans believed that there was something going on around the
dam is still unclear. Around the 1940s, though, many people came up with a
conclusion to the madness of the dam’s mysterious vibe; Devil’s Gate Dam was
one of seven portals to Hell on Earth.
There is one main reason why the dam was
considered to be a portal to Hell. That biggest reason being the rituals that
occurred at the gate in the 1940s. Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard are two very
different, yet alike in thought, men that performed spiritual rituals in the
presence of evil.
The
men believed that the dam was hiding a magical power that no one else could
explain. Parsons and Hubbard continued to perform these rituals and as time
went on, their needs began to grow. The two men decided to perform a special
ritual that would change their lives completely. This ritual was intended to
create a moonchild, a sort of anti-Christ that would overthrow modern society
and demolish all religion. No one knows for sure if the ritual ever really
turned out to have created such a thing. Soon after the rituals were performed,
Parsons died from an experiment he was conducting in his home. The talk of the
rituals came to a close after this incident.
It
wasn’t long until the mysterious incidents started occurring. In 1956, two
young children went missing in the area of the dam. Police were sent out to
look for the kids, countless search parties roamed the area for days, and even
helicopters were used to find and rescue the children. No hope was found. One
year later, a six year old boy was hiking with his family along the paths around
the dam. As the family was walking together, the little boy decided he wanted
to get ahead of the rest and sprinted in front of them. As he rounded a corner,
he was never seen again. Again, search parties were sent out, police were
contacted, and even the helicopters, but there was still no luck in finding the
little boy. Shortly after, another missing child case appeared, seeming to be
just as unusual as the last. A six year old boy was attending camp at a local
YMCA. As the little boy was hiking with his group, he told his leader that he
wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go back. Since the camp site was less than
three hundred yards away, the group leader told the boy to walk back as she
watched him. This was the last time anyone saw that little boy.
Coming
back to present day, only one of these stories has been figured out. The very
first incident with the two kids riding their bicycles turned out to have been
a kidnapping. A man confessed to burying the bodies and ended up committing
suicide in prison many years later. Other than that, all the missing children
have never been accounted for. Many people believe that these incidents were
all because of the previous activity performed there. The real reason though,
which would contain proof, is still a mystery.
Works
Cited:
Antabanez,
Wheeler. “Strange Disappearances at the Cursed Devil’s Gate Reservoir.” Weird U.S. Web. 13 October 2013.
Kimbrough,
David. “Oak Grove Drive over the Arroyo Seco – Devil’s Gate Dam.” Historic and Notable Bridges of the U.S. Bridge
Hunter. Web. 15 October 2013.
Marie,
Kelly. “The Story of Devil’s Gate Dam.” The
Quest to Find the Land of Normal Define Normal. Web. 9 October 2013.
Media,
Magi. “Devil’s Gate.” Photograph. Student Reader. 11 May 2006. Web. 17
October 2013.
Mystery,
Man. “Haunted Places: Devil’s Gate Dam.” Religion
and Philosophy HubPages. Web. 9 October 2013.
Patrol,
LA Ghost. “Devil’s Gate: A Portal to Hell?” Los
Angeles Ghost Patrol laghostpatrol. Web. 7 October 2013.
Links
for Further Research:
Patrol,
LA Ghost. “Haunted Devil’s Gate Dam.” Youtube.
18 May 2011. Web. 17 October 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1V-BA8s9wU
This
link takes you to a video that shows the overview of the Devil’s Gate Dam.
Investigation,
Supernatural. “Devil’s Gate Dam Pasadena, CA S.I.U.” Youtube. 22 January 2013. Web. 16 October 2013.
The
above link shows a visitor’s reactions from visiting the dam.
“Pasadena’s
Suicide Bridge.” Weird California. 9
November 2005. Web. 17 October 2013.
This
link takes you to a website informing you of the opinions and information about
the dam and the bridge it is located by.
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