landscape after dark. Alternately known as the Joplin
Spooklight, the Tri-State Spooklight, the Neosho Spook Light, the Seneca
Light, and the Devil’s Jack-o-Lantern, the Ghost Light has for decades
drawn spectators from around the country hoping to catch a glimpse of
the elusive anomaly. At one time, local residents maintained the Spook
Light Free Museum near the remote county road where sightings
of the object are concentrated. The museum, now abandoned, housed small
exhibits and a collection of newspaper articles about the Ghost Light.
Descriptions of the Hornet Ghost Light vary greatly. While many witnesses
report that the Ghost Light is a solitary, luminous ball, others claim
to have seen clusters of glowing orbs. Some observers even insist that
a hollow, diamond-shaped object resides within the glow. The size of the
Ghost Light is said to fluctuate between the volume of a basketball and
that of a bathtub. Color is also variable, but most witnesses describe
the object as being white, blue, red, orange, or yellow. Those who have
had close encounters with the Ghost Light sometimes report that it discharges
sparks or radiates heat.
Enthusiasts claim that sightings of the Ghost Light date back at least
as far as the 1860s. The Army Corps of Engineers reportedly studied the
phenomenon in 1946 but could find no natural cause for the spectral light
show. The Ghost Light is known to appear along a stretch of gravel road
near Highway 43 about halfway between Joplin and Seneca. While many observers
report viewing the Ghost Light from a distance rising over a crest in
the road or hovering above a hilltop, some claim to have experienced the
object up close. These witnesses describe the Ghost Light hovering, floating,
or bouncing just above the ground and occasionally performing odd acrobatics.
Witnesses claim that approaching the Ghost Light causes it to vanish,
although it sometimes reappears behind the observer. Some even claim that
the glowing orb will materialize in unoccupied vehicles. Many enthusiasts
insist that the Ghost Light is visible nearly every night and in any weather
conditions.
A rich body of folklore has developed over the years to explain the mysterious
light. A few stories attribute the Ghost Light to Native American spirits.
In one tale, the light is the spirit of a murdered Osage chief. In another,
a Quapaw maiden who drowned after her lover fell in battle replaces the
chief. Some say that the light belongs to the ghost of a miner who set
out one dark, rainy night with a lantern in hand, searching for his wife
and children who had been kidnapped by a local tribe. Those who remember
the spectacle as the Devil’s Jack-o-Lantern tell of a local legend
that claims Devil himself appears when a nearby bridge is crossed once
too often. This tale provided a name for the road where the Hornet Ghost
Light is most frequently seen: the Devil’s Promenade. Even UFO chasers
have taken an interest in the Ghost Light, speculating that the phenomenon
might have an extraterrestrial origin.
Several down-to-earth explanations of the Hornet Ghost Light have been
offered over the years. Some researchers have argued that hot air rising
from the surrounding area at the end of the day bends the light from distant
automobiles or airport beacons creating an optical illusion. But many
enthusiasts cite anecdotal reports of Ghost Light encounters that pre-date
modern transportation in order to refute this contention. Other theories
suggest that the Ghost Light might be the result of natural gas or of
so-called “ball lightning” or even the result of geological
activity. Despite many plausible theories, a definitive cause has yet
to be determined. Meanwhile, scores of visitors continue to flock to the
Devil’s Promenade each year for a chance to spot the mysterious
Hornet Ghost Light.
Ghost Town
At a crossroads in Dallas County just west of Bennett
Spring State Park lies what some believe is a literal ghost town. While
any community is bound to have one spooky old house or some other macabre
landmark, many ghost chasers contend that much of the town of Windyville
is haunted. The town might be home to no less than three haunted houses,
two haunted cemeteries, and an assortment of haunted businesses—not
to mention a few Native American spirits who lurk on the outskirts. If
ghost chasers are to be believed, Windyville might be the most haunted
community per capita in southern Missouri.
One purportedly haunted house seems to take its cue from The Amityville
Horror. Reports of bizarre activity include strange temperature fluctuations,
insect infestations, mysterious footsteps, curtains that open themselves,
and the occasional apparition. At another house south of town, witnesses
claim that rocks rain down both inside and outside the structure. Ghost
chasers say that a previous owner had been murdered there by his cheating
wife. Another apparently haunted house is home to a ghostly woman whose
wailing is described as frightening. Observers have reported strange noises
like footsteps and screams and objects moving without any apparent cause
in several vacant businesses as well.
Windyville has its share of outdoor ghosts, too. Witnesses say the nearby
Peppers and Lone Rock cemeteries are haunted. Some witnesses claim to
have seen a ghostly man on horseback rise out of Lone Rock Cemetery and
hover above the ground before vanishing again. Other reported hauntings
include sightings of spectral children playing in the streets and poltergeists
that chase hikers in the surrounding woods. Some believe that Osage Indian
spirits haunt caves along the nearby Niangua River. In addition, Indian
Creek is reportedly haunted by the specter of a woman searching for her
drowned child.
Gray Ghosts
Civil War ghosts comprise another significant segment
of the Ozarks’ poltergeist population. Two sites in particular stand
out.
Wilson’s Creek Battlefield near Springfield was the site of an 1861
engagement between Union and Confederate forces. Over the course of six
hours on the morning of August 10, the Battle of Wilson’s Creek
claimed more than 2,300 casualties. Some say the restless spirits of those
who lost their lives in the conflict still haunt the woods around Wilson’s
Creek. Over the decades, visitors to the site have reported seeing phantom
soldiers and hearing the sound of gunshots and cannonfire echoing across
the empty battleground. The majority of sightings involve the ghosts of
Confederate soldiers, although the losses that day were split almost evenly
between the opponents.
Another Confederate specter reportedly appears from time to time at Inspiration
Point in Branson near the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre. Witnesses
have described seeing a soldier on horseback whom many believe was a sentry
stationed on the mountain lookout during the Civil War. Sightings of the
ghost rider began in 1964, just a few years after performances of Harold
Bell Wright’s Shepherd of the Hills started playing to audiences
at the outdoor amphitheater. Whether this phantom soldier represents an
authentic chapter of Ozarks’ folklore or simply savvy marketing
remains a mystery.
These are only a few of the mysterious sights and sounds
that haunt the Ozarks. An amateur Fox Mulder could make a career out of
tracking down the phantom Model A Ford that roams the back roads of Christian
County or trying to photograph the eerie blue mist that is said to appear
in Laclede County’s Lonesome Hill Cemetery. Whether fact or fiction,
these native superstitions, pioneer folklore, and local legends contribute
to the rich tapestry of Ozarks life. |
