Does Ethel Dwyer haunt the Huntington Beach middle school that bears her name?
I don't know. But for decades rumors have persisted that the former student, librarian and vice principal at Dwyer Middle School still makes her presence known, particularly down in the boiler room, where few ever get to set foot.
Recently I had the privilege of speaking to the sixth-grade class as part of this year's Author's Day, put on by the Friends of the Children's Library. I've long been aware of the school's eerie history, so when I asked about it from the auditorium stage, it didn't surprise me that most of the kids were aware of the stories too. What did surprise me was that not one student had ever been down to the boiler room.
Principal Morgan Smith was kind enough to take me downstairs during my visit. The school, which was all but completely rebuilt after the devastating 1933 Long Beach earthquake, has a robust history. Visiting the boiler room truly was like taking a step back in time.