Discover The Legend Of The Spook Light In Missouri

We all probably have our own favorite legend – and theories behind it – whether it’s the sudden appearance and rapid departure of Momo or it’s the Ozark Spook Light in Missouri. The legend of the Ozark Spook Light dates back more than a century, and the stories behind it may be just as intriguing as capturing a glimpse of the light itself.

People have been talking about the Ozark Spook Light since the 1800s. You may have heard of it called the Ozark Spook Light or one of its numerous other monikers – the Hornet Spook Light…

Google Maps

…the Joplin Spook Light, or the Tri-States Spook Light. It earned a nod as the Tri-States Spook Light as the light is believed to be in Quapaw, Oklahoma. However, it can be seen in Joplin and at the border where Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri meet.

Wikipedia/Public Domain

Wherever it actually is, those who have seen the Spook Light claim it’s a bright light that’s somewhere between the size of a baseball and a basketball. It looks like a dancing ball of fire, and it disappears as quickly as it appears.

Flickr/Lee Balcom

Legend has it that the Indians first caught sight of the Spook Light in the 1830s. However, the first documented sighting of the mysterious light didn’t occur until 1881.

Flickr/Kevin Doncaster

Just what is the Spook Light? It really is anybody’s guess, but theories have ranged from escaped natural gas to the headlights of oncoming cars. (Cars, however, weren’t around back in the 1880s.)

Flickr/Jim Surkamp

Those, however, aren’t the only theories behind the Spook Light. Some believe that the light is the spirit of two Quapaw Indians who had fallen into love – a forbidden love – and together had jumped to their deaths in the Spring River.

Wikipedia/Traveler7 (talk)

Still others tell the tale of a beheaded individual – a miner or an Indian, depending upon to whom you talk – with a torch that’s scouring the area looking for his head.

Flickr/Eric Sagen

Some motorists claim to have seen the light as they’re driving through Joplin. Still, others, who have been on foot when the light flashes, claim to have felt a rush of heat.

Flickr/James Lee

If you want to see Spook Light, plug these coordinates into 36°56'38.4"N 94°37'04.9"W your GPS or Google Maps, and it will take you approximately 11 miles from Joplin, where the light is most commonly seen.

Flickr/dvs

What do you think is causing the Spook Light in Missouri? Have you ever seen it? Join the conversation in the comments! Have you heard of the Legend of Momo, a mysterious Missouri monster who first appeared in the early 1970s?