TextSearch

A mysterious ball of light seems to appear and disappear on a road in far northeast Oklahoma. One listener who witnessed the so-called “spooklight” asked:…

How Curious: What Is The “Spooklight?” | KGOU Search Query Show Search Home Listen Listening Options Listening Options News KGOU News NPR News StateImpact Capitol Insider KGOU AM NewsBrief KGOU PM NewsBrief Oklahoma Watch Oklahoma Watch: Long Story Short National Weather Service Forecast KGOU Archive KGOU News NPR News StateImpact Capitol Insider KGOU AM NewsBrief KGOU PM NewsBrief Oklahoma Watch Oklahoma Watch: Long Story Short National Weather Service Forecast KGOU Archive Programs Shows and Podcasts Schedule Special Programs KGOU Readers Club KGOU Sunday Radio Matinee Weekend Blues Tonic: The Funky Groove Show Global Sojourn How Curious Shows and Podcasts Schedule Special Programs KGOU Readers Club KGOU Sunday Radio Matinee Weekend Blues Tonic: The Funky Groove Show Global Sojourn How Curious Support Donate Online Membership Information Donate a car Thank-you Gifts Member Connect Planned Giving Business Support Donate Online Membership Information Donate a car Thank-you Gifts Member Connect Planned Giving Business Support About About KGOU KGOU History Awards Manager's Minute Key Information FCC Online Public Files Jobs Internships KGOU e-Newsletter Archive Contest Rules Who's Who in Public Radio This is KGOU About KGOU KGOU History Awards Manager's Minute Key Information FCC Online Public Files Jobs Internships KGOU e-Newsletter Archive Contest Rules Who's Who in Public Radio This is KGOU Events Community Calendar Events Calendar Guidelines Submit A Community Event Community Calendar Events Calendar Guidelines Submit A Community Event Contact Us E-mail or call us People About Underwriting Facebook Twitter Instagram Newsletters E-mail or call us People About Underwriting Facebook Twitter Instagram Newsletters © 2023 KGOU Menu News and Music for Oklahoma Show Search Search Query Donate KGOU BBC World Service Next Up: 5:00 AM Morning Edition 0:00 0:00 Available On Air Stations On Air Now Playing KGOU-FM All Streams Home Listen Listening Options Listening Options News KGOU News NPR News StateImpact Capitol Insider KGOU AM NewsBrief KGOU PM NewsBrief Oklahoma Watch Oklahoma Watch: Long Story Short National Weather Service Forecast KGOU Archive KGOU News NPR News StateImpact Capitol Insider KGOU AM NewsBrief KGOU PM NewsBrief Oklahoma Watch Oklahoma Watch: Long Story Short National Weather Service Forecast KGOU Archive Programs Shows and Podcasts Schedule Special Programs KGOU Readers Club KGOU Sunday Radio Matinee Weekend Blues Tonic: The Funky Groove Show Global Sojourn How Curious Shows and Podcasts Schedule Special Programs KGOU Readers Club KGOU Sunday Radio Matinee Weekend Blues Tonic: The Funky Groove Show Global Sojourn How Curious Support Donate Online Membership Information Donate a car Thank-you Gifts Member Connect Planned Giving Business Support Donate Online Membership Information Donate a car Thank-you Gifts Member Connect Planned Giving Business Support About About KGOU KGOU History Awards Manager's Minute Key Information FCC Online Public Files Jobs Internships KGOU e-Newsletter Archive Contest Rules Who's Who in Public Radio This is KGOU About KGOU KGOU History Awards Manager's Minute Key Information FCC Online Public Files Jobs Internships KGOU e-Newsletter Archive Contest Rules Who's Who in Public Radio This is KGOU Events Community Calendar Events Calendar Guidelines Submit A Community Event Community Calendar Events Calendar Guidelines Submit A Community Event Contact Us E-mail or call us People About Underwriting Facebook Twitter Instagram Newsletters E-mail or call us People About Underwriting Facebook Twitter Instagram Newsletters Oklahoma News How Curious: What Is The “Spooklight?” KGOU | By Claire Donnelly Published October 8, 2019 at 7:34 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 7:28 A mysterious ball of light seems to appear and disappear on a road in far northeast Oklahoma. One listener who witnessed the so-called “spooklight” asked: Where is it coming from?Editor’s Note: A version of this story aired in October 2018.Lora Nall saw the spooklight for the first time in her early twenties along E 50 Road, also known as Spooklight Road or the Devil’s Promenade, in Quapaw, Oklahoma.“You’re told to park your car on the side of the road, turn out all of your lights and stay quiet. [Then this ball of light] starts to just sort of float. Sometimes it looks like it’s floating toward you,” Nall said. She asked How Curious: What causes this phenomenon? Is It...Ghosts?One urban legend suggests the light is the wandering spirits of two Quapaw lovers who killed themselves after they were forbidden to marry. Another claims it’s the ghost of a miner carrying a lantern.  Though some argue the light has been around since the late nineteenth century, it was reportedly first documented in 1935 by a newspaper. In 1946, the Army Corps of Engineers supposedly investigated the site and could not find an explanation.  At one time, a Spooklight Museum, reportedly run by Arthur “Spooky” Meadows and then Garland “Spooky” Middleton, allowed visitors to view the light through a telescope. The museum’s  walls were said to be papered with articles about Spooklight sightings.An Unscientific ExperimentLike Nall, University of Central Oklahoma English professor Allen Rice was also curious about the spooklight.“I thought it might be swamp gas,” Rice said. Credit Sean B. Palmer / Tri-State Spook Light booklet from 1955. Gases like methane are often cited as the cause of otherworldly glows and mysterious flickers--sometimes called will-o’-the-wisps--in swamps and marshes.Rice leads a group called “The Boomers,” in which he and several friends and family members try to solve unusual mysteries. They have searched for buried treasure in the Rocky Mountains, looked for the Loch Ness Monster and traveled to Roswell, New Mexico, the site of an alleged 1947 UFO crash. A few years ago, The Boomers took a trip to the Devil’s Promenade, expecting to be underwhelmed by Oklahoma’s Spooklight.“At the top of the road, [there was] this sort of glowing basketball. And we were shocked. We kept saying, ‘What is happening?’” Rice said. After taking some observations, the Boomers conducted an unscientific experiment, which they documented in a YouTube video. Rice and several Boomers drove to Spooklight Road and parked in the best possible viewing place, facing a forest at the end of the road. Another group drove to the opposite side of the forest and flickered the car’s headlights. According to Rice, his group could see the Spooklight phenomenon through the trees. “I think what’s happening is cars...are coming down the long highway, and we’re seeing headlights or tail lights five miles away,” Rice said.  Credit Christopher Shaneyfelt / Rice’s theory has not been well-received online.“This is the absolute worst explanation ever,” wrote one YouTube commenter. But a 1965 investigation by the magazine Popular Mechanics backs up Rice’s results. Using binoculars in daylight, Rice and his team were able to see cars near where the Spooklight supposedly originates. Though some claim the light was visible before cars existed, Rice said sightings that old are not well-documented. The phenomenon could also have been created by distant campfires or torches. Rice said he’s not surprised by the backlash to The Boomers’ mundane explanation. “We all want awesome. When you go to Loch Ness, you’re looking in the water because you want Nessie to be there,” he said. How Curious is a production of KGOU Radio. It's produced by Claire Donnelly. This episode was edited by Jacob McCleland and Caroline Halter. David Graey composed the theme music. Email your questions about Oklahoma to [email protected]. Subscribe to the How Curious podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.As a community-supported news organization, KGOU relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online, or by contacting our Membership department. Tags Oklahoma News oklahomaQuapawAllen RiceHow CuriousSpooklightdevil's promenadelight Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Claire Donnelly Claire has previously worked at KGOU, where she helped create a podcast, How Curious, and hosted local news during Morning Edition. Previously, she was an intern on the city desk at WBEZ in Chicago. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School. Claire has reported on street performers, temp workers, criminal court cases, police dogs, Christmas tree recycling and more. See stories by Claire Donnelly More News Oklahoma News Central Oklahoma communities receive $43.7 million in federal funding for transportation projects 12 hours ago Oklahoma News What to know about State Question 820 and legalizing recreational marijuana in Oklahoma March 2, 2023 Oklahoma News Norman residents asked to conserve water following pump failure July 8, 2022 Oklahoma News Oklahoma State Fair Won’t Enforce Masks, But Will Have Vaccination Booth September 7, 2021 Stay Connected twitter instagram facebook © 2023 KGOU Terms of Use Key Information Public Files Privacy Listening Options Support our work Contact Us Thanks for signing up! You can unsubscribe at any time using the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email. Don't miss our deepest reporting. Sign up for a weekly update from KGOU and NPR in your email inbox: Email Sorry, we could not complete your sign-up. Please contact us to resolve this. Operation timed out, please try again. By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: KGOU Public Radio, 860 Van Vleet Oval, Copeland Hall, Rm 300, Norman, OK, 73019-2053, US, http://www.kgou.org. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. Our Privacy Policy. Submit