Quapaw, OK
The Spook Light
The Joplin Spook
Light or the Tri-State Spook Light, is
actually in Oklahoma near the small town of Quapaw. However, it is most often seen from the east,
which is why it has been "attached” to the tiny hamlet of Hornet,
Missouri, and the larger, better-known town of Joplin.
In the
heart of the 4-States, a legendary phenomenon has captured the imagination of
locals for centuries — the Joplin Spooklight. This mysterious light, discussed
since the 1800s, continues to be a source of fascination and intrigue. To delve
into the heart of the mystery, I met up with a 4-State resident, Dean Walker,
who has personally witnessed the Spooklight over 50 times since childhood.
Walker guided me to the elusive location, and I also consulted a local folklore
expert, Lisa Martin, to uncover the rich history behind this enigmatic
phenomenon.
Encountering
the Spooklight
"Go across the creek, go around a house, come into
Witches Holler, three miles, and you're here," says Dean Walker explaining
how to get to the Spooklight from I-44 and the Missouri-Oklahoma state line.
The
ball of fire, described as varying from the size of a baseball to a basketball,
dances and spins down the center of the road at high speeds, rising and
hovering above the treetops, before it retreats and disappears. Others have
said it sways from side to side, like a lantern being carried by some invisible
force. In any event, the orange fire-like ball has reportedly been appearing
nightly for well over 100 years. According to locals, the best time to view the
spook light is between the hours of 10:00 pm and midnight and tends to shy away
from large groups and loud sounds.
Though
many paranormal and scientific investigators have studied the light, including
the Army Corps of Engineers, no one has been able to provide a conclusive
answer as to the origin of the light.
