Mystery of the Joplin Spook Lights by Joseph Held September 16, 2000 On a dark lonely dirt road, somewhere about three miles south of the Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri Tri-state border marker, you'll find the Joplin Spook Light. Also known as the Tri-state Spook Lights. Located off the main road, back in an area where small ranches and farms have been located for over a hundred years. Spread out in an area rich with trees and hills, it would be hard to see a neighbor within view. Stories go back well over a hundred years about the strange lights, seen by thousands through out the years. Stories from settlers, camping near the lights, to modern day tales still abound over this now familiar mystery spot. It was my pleasure to view this strange light on one occasion. Though not a spectacular show on this particular evening, the light did not disappoint. The evening was cool with a slight breeze. It could have been almost eerie had it not been for the other cars that went up and down these roads. I had heard the tale of the spook lights from many people in the Webb City and Joplin areas of Missouri, where I spent five years. Some folks, including our young tour guides for the evening, say that on special occasions the light will come in very close and inspect you. Some times even interacting with people in the area. My two young friends who I shall call Sonny and Raven, had told us of the few times that they had seen the light, and on one occasion they watched it come close and move around in different directions. On the particular night I got to see it, it kept it's distance. The funny thing is, you can drive up to where you think it is, and it will reappear somewhere else. On the night I saw it, there were several cars with people going up and down the road trying to see this thing. A bad night for viewing since legend tells that the light is very sensitive to activity, and only puts on the best shows when the fewest people seem to be around. Up until 1962 you could head straight to the Hornet Store as a jumping off spot to view the lights. The owners, now long gone, would give out directions to the light, and sold the Tri-State Spooklight booklet published back in the fifties. In the 1950s, word went around that the light had moved south to E 50 road, currently considered Spooklight Road, even though sightings continue on E 40. For years, successive proprietors Arthur Spooky Meadows and Garland Spooky Middleton ran a small Spooklight museum/pinball parlor on the Missouri side of State Line Road with soft drinks, a view down E 50 and a telescope that cost a quarter to use. On weekends, parked cars lined the road. These attractions are since gone, but the Spooklight lives on. If you need to find it, just ask anyone in the area, and they will surely know the directions. Mysterious lights have appeared around the world throughout history. The Marfa lights in Texas are another example of lights similar to the Joplin Spook lights. Explanations have ranged from ball lightning, to fox fire (bioluminescence of decayed vegetation), to marsh gas (burning methane), and peizo electricity created by pressures on crystalline substances in the earth. It has also been noted that this type of phenomenon has been recorded in dozens of countries over the years. Some people speculate that the areas are some how related to specific energy spots on the Earth itself. Mystery lights have been reported in areas where ancient temples and worship areas have been found. De_script_ions from many other countries sound familiar to the Joplin Spooklights. Fiery colored amber, yellow or white globes of light; shifts in color and shape; swinging motions; no rays. Sometimes the lights appear to interact with people, approaching them, retreating when approached, reappearing behind observers as if playing a game. My friend Sonny said that he had witnessed the same with another friend a couple of years earlier. Missouri has also been host to other strange lights over the years. During the New Madrid earthquake of 1811, bright flashes burst from the earth. Lights in the sky in the Piedmont area sparked UFO fever in 1973; sightings dwindled by 1980, but have again increased from around the Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma areas. The Joplin Spooklights are a phenomenon that has existed for over 100 years and is an attraction you can seek out and see today. Though studies have been done over the years, it would be interesting to go back today, to talk to the people in the immediate area, have a look around during the day to see if any unusual mounds of dirt, or strange rock formations exist anywhere near the sight.