Theories on the "Hornet Light" or "Spook Light", range anywhere from ghosts to UFO's. Of course the truth is, no one really knows, and this is what makes the lights so appealing. Years ago, when I first saw the Spook Light in Oklahoma, there was a man by the name of Arthur Meadows, (i hope his name is spelled correctly) who ran a little museum, game room and snack shop, at the head of Spook Light Road. He called the place "SpooksVille". He had a telescope that you could look down the road with for twenty-five cents. Of course, you didn't need the telescope to see the light. On the wall inside SpooksVille, were newspaper articles back into the early turn of the century and as far reaching as the 1800's, with stories of people seeing the Spook Light from wagons and buggys. That, of course, lets out any theory of the lights being from cars on Joplin highway. Of course, that is ridiculous in itself as the light is deep in the hollows, surrounded by dense forests of huge oak and other trees, and miles from the highway!

I am very fortunate in that I have an original "SpooksVille Ghost Lights" brochure issued free to all visitors back then. The author of the brochure was Garland Middleton, and it contains many articles by various individuals who have witnessed the light themselves and put their theory into writing for the publication.

"During World War II the U.S. Corps of Engineers spent weeks in the area with the latest scientific equipment. They tested caves, mineral deposits, highway routes, every possible logical explanation as to why the lights existed. They came away baffled." .

"One legend claims that an old time minister carrying his lantern across the fields disappeared and that it is his lantern which still causes the light to shine." State of Missouri Division OF RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT.

Other theories range from a man that lost his head was searching for it every night with his lantern, to the light being a regeneration station for UFO's. I sort of lean to this theory. One night I was out there and saw a ring of red and green lights encircling the Spook Light!

The Indian legend claims that a young Indian brave fell in love with a beautiful Indian maiden of the Quapaw tribe. To make a long story short, the brave's father supposedly made things rough for the young couple, so they decided to elope. They were pursued, and knowing the trouble they could get into, they leapt off a high rocky cliff over-looking Spring River. This spot is now known as "Lovers Leap" or "Devil's Promenade". When I was a teenager, there used to be an old iron bridge spanning Spring River, outside of Quapaw near where the lovers jumped and lost their lives. The legend that I was told was that if you walked across the old bridge three times after midnight, you would see the devil, and hear the lovers jump off the cliff and splash into the river far below. Well, I never walked across the old bridge, but I did drive my 55' Chevy across three times. Our excuse for not walking across was not that we were scared, but that it was dangerous, as a car could come along while we were on the bridge. If I'm honest, I'll have to admit there was a chilling feeling just being out there, and I wouldn't have walked across that bridge after midnight for a thousand dollars!!! Calypso