North Carolina Ghost Lights

Booger Lights: Some North Carolina Ghost Lights

Badin – Light on the old Whitney Train Tracks
Brown Mountain – Numerous lights on a mountainside that became the subject of an X-Files episode
Cullowhee – Lights on the banks of Wehahutta Creek
Diamond Grove – The Devil’s Racetrack
Harper’s Crossroad - The Devil’s Tramping Ground
Maco Station – The Joe Baldwin Railroad light
Pactolus – Railroad light
Vander – Railroad Light
Tarboro – Railroad light

Thornton Austen is the author of Blood Knowing
from Arkansas Traveller Publishing
© 2011, Thornton Austen

November 14th, 2011 | resurgam3191 | Tags: Badin, Booger Lights, brown mountain, Cullowee, Earth Light, ghost lights, Maco, North Carolina, Pactolus, Tarboro, The Booger Lights Project, Thornton Austen, Vander.
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The Dover Lights

Booger Lights: The Dover Lights

Pope County, Arkansas

Also Known as the Booger Hollow Lights and the Ozark Ghost Lights

Strange multicolored, moving orbs of light haunt Big Piney Creek Valley twelve miles north of Dover, Arkansas. The lights appear frequently, sometimes nightly, and have done so since homesteaders first noticed the phenomena in the late 1800’s above the canyon that empties into nearby Booger Hollow. Skeptics scoff at the lights, but fail to explain them. This leaves locals to wonder whether the lights are a natural occurrence or the ghosts of massacred Spaniards guarding their lost wealth.

From the time of conquistador Hernando De Soto to the Louisiana Purchase the mountains of Arkansas lured Spanish prospectors. Sometimes their explorations ended profitably with the King’s Fifth shipped back to Spain via Mexico. Other times the operations ended at the wrath of Caddo or Osage war parties. Numerous abandoned Spanish prospects litter the Ozarks and the area north of Dover is no different. In the 1800’s one homesteader found and then lost a rich silver seam. Thinking it to be lead, he cast hunting bullets of pure silver and later abandoned the area because he believed it too poor to support his family.

We do know that around the turn of the century, the family that then owned the valley where the lights appear, found evidence of one ill-fated Spanish expedition, as well as the gold that lured the dead men to the valley. Knowing well what news of a gold discovery would cause them, the family kept it secret until the placer played out. Still, the news eventually leaked and the legend grew about the murdered Spanish miners and their jealousy toward the hidden hoard of wealth they left behind.

Indeed, the first sightings of the Dover Lights were most likely made in the late 1800’s by homesteaders in the area. Records are few in the Ozarks and even with its characteristic embellishments, folklore is often more reliable than written accounts. However, locals say the lights were first reported in print in the 1930’s when the Works Projects Administration scoured the hill country for stories. About this same time, the Civilian Conservation Corps built the rock wall at the overlook where the lights are most often viewed.

Once, the lure of riches brought men to the valley. Today, Big Piney Creek is a popular float stream. The surrounding country is much as wild as it always was and with the exception of a National Forest Service Campground, electricity is nonexistent. Besides hunters and canoeists, paranormal researchers are finding they enjoy the valley too.

The Dover Lights occasionally warrant mention in the media. In the 1990’s MysteriousReality.Com posted the first film footage of the Dover Lights moving around the forested bluffs above the creek. Around 2000, a camper called in emergency crews because he thought a vehicle had driven off one of the bluffs that rim the valley. Instead of a motorist in trouble, the camper learned that he had instead seen the Dover Lights. In March 2004, Ted Phillips of the Branson, Missouri-based Center for Physical Trace Evidence photographed what he described as intense and odd-colored lights. In April 2009, the paranormal group, On The Fringe filmed the lights for their European television show. At the time of this filming high water levels separated the valley from any possible human contamination. Later the same year, an Associated Press article “outed” the Dover Lights as a hoax on the word of an amateur myth-buster. However, later examination of the footage taken by the man revealed his discovery of “the hoax” was itself most likely an even larger hoax. The man’s assertion that the lights’ movement was attributed to alcohol consumption was equally insulting to a church youth group that had observed the moving lights many times over the years. As yet, AP has filed no known retraction.

The Dover Lights are best viewed from the east at the rock-walled CCC overlook on Treat Road atop the cliffs above the valley. When one looks out over the canyon at night, the only visible artificial light is at the Long Pool Recreation Area campground to the viewer’s extreme left. At times, up to six or more Dover Lights appear 1000 feet below the viewing area to the viewer’s front and right across Big Piney Creek and on the forested slopes to its west.

Observers report flickering orbs of light that sway to and fro, rise and fall, or sometimes dart across great distances with surprising speed. Sometimes the lights remain stationary. Colors described range from white to intense red and violet to blue and yellow. Occasionally, lights are bright enough to illuminate the entire valley. Many viewers report that the lights are extremely interactive to outside stimuli with headlights, spotlights, flashlights, laser pointers, and even car horns causing the lights to brighten and move about. Local tradition has it that if an observer yells, “I’ve got your gold,” down into the valley the lights will move toward the overlook.

Skeptics have proposed several explanations for the Dover Lights over the years. Most theories are proposed by people who have never even seen the lights. However, most theories fall short upon scrutiny. The terrain itself rules out the misidentification of headlights, ATVs, flashlights, and campfires. Equally unlikely is the a mirage-type refractive effect because of the height of the surrounding mountains. Reflections of the moon and stars are ruled out by the simple fact that the lights appear in all weather and cloud cover and that a bright moon sometimes hampers viewing. Some claim that the valley is the scene of a residual haunting of the tragic massacre of the Spanish miners or because of the death of a spectral woman sometimes seen walking Treat Road. The area surrounding the overlook will indeed give you the creeps at night, but a more likely explanation lies with tectonic strain on the same quartz intrusions along geological faulting that bore the gold and silver that original drew the Spanish to Valley. However, even that theory does not totally explain all the occurrences here.

Local reactions to the Dover Lights are mixed, but few in the area seriously fear the phenomena. To most residents they are a quaint and fun local curiosity that doesn’t need explanation. However, as with most Fortean occurrences, there are always those disturbed individuals who will stoop to any measure to get their fifteen minutes of pseudo-fame and potential profit. This was poignantly illustrated by 2009’s hoaxed hoax. There are always those kind of people out there to interfere with legitimate inquiry and scientific discovery

A trip to Dover is well worth the time. Even if the lights do not appear you still get a pleasant outdoor experience with breathtaking Ozark scenery. The easiest way to the viewing area is to take Scenic Arkansas Highway 7 north from the town of Dover for 12 miles. On the left watch for a side road marked Old Highway 7. Take that road to the intersection of Treat Road. Take a right on that gravel road and continue to the CCC overlook. It will be on the left.

Do not litter, be considerate of others, and above all enjoy the Dover Lights.

Thornton Austen is the author of Blood Knowing
from Arkansas Traveller Publishing
© 2011, Thornton Austen

November 1st, 2011 | resurgam3191 | Tags: arkansas, Big Piney Creek, Booger Hollow, Booger Lights, Dover, Dover Lights, Earth Lights, ghost lights, haunting, Highway 7, Long Pool, Ozarks, paranormal, Spanish gold, The Booger Lights Project, Thornton Austen.
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Oklahoma Ghost Lights

The Booger Lights Project: Some Oklahoma Ghost Lights

Ada – Kullihoma Indian Reservation – A phantom car pursues motorists only to disappear as it draws close.
Kullihoma – In the Chickasaw Nation bouncing balls of bright light float around and are reputed to be the legendary little people seen by young Indian children.
Quapaw – The Spooksville Triangle (where the Hornet Spooklight actually appears)
Sand Springs – In Post Oak Cemetery, balls of light move about around the cemetery and in the surrounding woods.

Thornton Austen is the author of Blood Knowing
from Arkansas Traveller Publishing
© 2011, Thornton Austen

October 14th, 2011 | resurgam3191 | Tags: Ada, Earth Light, ghost lights, Hornet, Kullihoma, Post Oak Cemetery, Quapaw, Sand Springs, Spooksville Triangle, The Booger Lights Project, Thornton Austen.
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The Crossett Light – Part II

The Booger Lights Project: Crossett – The “New” Light

This is Part II of the Crossett story.
Part I appeared on 1 September 2011.

The absence of its namesake light left the town of Crossett without its claim to Fortean fame. Most people believed the reports of the light’s passing with the removal of the Missouri-Pacific tracks. The sporadic reports that the light sightings that drifted in from local teenagers were dismissed as wishful thinking, but as reports increased it became clear that the Crossett Light hadn’t died. It simply moved to a more hospitable location near the old Bovine Station.
In fact, it is hard for Crossett to claim the light anymore, as it appears much closer to the town of Hamburg than it does its original location. However, local habit conquers geography in this case and the light retains its old name.

The Legend Still Fits

Today, the Crossett Light displays a mere fragment of its former brilliance and activity. Still, it resides in the area thought to be nearer the home Rose-Marie and David, the story’s original characters along a tram-road near the ruins of the old Bovine Station north of the Crossett airport. If Rose-Marie still seeks for her husband’s lost cranium, she finally gave up on the area near Crossett after seventy years and now searches closer to her and her husband’s final resting place. Perhaps even ghosts require a change of scenery.

One longtime resident claims that the light was seen in this area all along, but because of less frequent sightings the tram never caught public attention as did the more popular sighting areas along the Mo-Pac tracks near Crossett. Several other locals agree saying that the light was seen here during several periods as early as the 1940′s during the light’s occasional absences from the tracks near Crossett. It was only after those tracks were removed that Bovine became the prime location to view the Crossett Light.

The Crossett Light is seen often here, but like in the old location it is not a regular or predictable event. While rarely as brilliant as in its early years, the Light is often still described as a lantern-like glow. It most often appears as a softball sized orb about waist-high from the surface of the gravel road between the site of an old deer camp and where the Mo-Pac tracks crossed the tram road. The light oscillates in intensity and changes color from white to amber to red, with occasional reports of a dim violet hue visible only on the darkest moonless nights. On most accessions the light bobs and wobbles along the roadway drawing closer to observers. During especially active events, it has been reported to move in a circular pattern from the ground up to the tree tops. During these active periods the light approaches its original brightness, yet it still does not reflect from the gravel road’s surface or cast an identifiable beam the way car headlights and flashlights do.

While the light usually appears in the same predictable area, there are times that observers have witnessed the light travel across adjacent properties. Though this is exceedingly rare, when the light strays from its usual pattern it seems to gravitate toward the ruins of the Bovine Station platform to the east of the normal viewing area. On other rare occasions, witnesses report seeing the light appear near ground level between parked cars.
At its current location, the Crossett Light does not attract the attention it once commanded. Still, several amateur investigators have tried to debunk the occurrences unsuccessfully. The viewing area and the zone where the light most often appears is in close proximity to a local highway. This causes most skeptics to dismiss the Light as headlights even though a hill exists between the highway and the viewing area. When the viewer is in position to see the Crossett Light the hill shields the highway from view.
After one adamant and vocal out-of-town critic tried to persuade law enforcement to ban light hunters from the road, a local group set out to dispose of the headlight theory once and for all. They posted observers at the sighting area and the highway with two-way radios. During that night more than a hundred cars passed on the highway. The Crossett Light appeared several times as well, but failed to conform to traffic patterns. Still, the headlight explanation persists, mainly among those who have never seen the actual phenomenon and those who do not bother to even visit the site.
The author was fortunate to be present when another group positioned a laser at headlight level on the highway and directed its beam up the old tram. From the known viewing area and the zone where the light most often appears the hill blocked the beam. However when observers went to the wrong area and stared toward the highway, they could both see the laser and easily identify headlights on the highway. Curiously, from both locations the investigators witness the appearance of the actual Crossett Light.

By going to the designated viewing area, prospective observers remove headlights from consideration and stand a better chance of seeing the actual Crossett Light phenomenon. Take Arkansas Highway 52 from Crossett to the airport and turn left on Ashley County Road 17. After a short distance, Ashley 17 will curve sharply to the right where it intersects Ashley 425. (Not to be confused with the US highway of the same number that goes through Hamburg.) Continue north on Ashley 425 past where the pavement turns to gravel. You will soon pass the site of the old deer camp on the right. Only a chimney remains. Continue north to the crossroads of Ashley 425 and Ashley 16. At the crossroads, turn around and drive back toward the camp for 100-200 yards. Park and turn off all lights. Local tradition says you should flash your headlights three times to summon the Crossett Light. Experience has shown this to be unnecessary, but why buck tradition? The light most often appears near the old deer camp, but if you approach it will disappear.
As always respect private property, be courteous to other viewers, and enjoy the Crossett Light. I hope you are fortunate enough to see it.

The Crossett Viewing Area

October 1st, 2011 | resurgam3191 | Tags: arkansas, brakeman, Crossett, Crossett Light, Earth Lights, ghost lights, haunting, legend, Missouri-Pacific, paranormal, preservation, railroad, The Booger Lights Project, Thornton Austen.
Categories: Ghost Lights | Comments: 1 Comment

Booger Lights On the Road

The fall of the year is when we do most of our roadwork. When we go out to do research for the blog and books, we go in style. Sure, there are fancy rigs on the road that can cost up tp a half mil, but nothing turns heads like an Airstream. They are way cool.

1987 Airstream 345 Motorcoach

A lot of people who weren’t around during the Apollo moonshots have never seen an Airstream coach before. Up until recently NASA still used one to carry astronauts to the launch pad. There’s nothing like them. When they were made (most of them in the 1980′s) they cost around a hundred grand. The shiny aluminum skin is a lot more durable than todays fiberglass sandwich material that likes to delaminate. And at used prices they are most affordable. Nothing strikes up a conversation at the campground or the rest stop like our mobile research and recreation vehicle.

The Mobile Research and Recreation Vehicle rolls through the New Madrid Seismic Zone near Senath, MO

September 21st, 2011 | resurgam3191 | Tags: campground, Earth Light, ghost lights, Mobile Research and Recreation Vehicle, New Madrid, Senath, The Booger Lights Project, Thornton Austen.
Categories: Ghost Lights, Travel | Comments: No Comments

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North Carolina Ghost Lights

The Dover Lights

Oklahoma Ghost Lights

The Crossett Light – Part II

The Booger Lights Project: Crossett – The “New” Light

Booger Lights On the Road

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