A ghostly light in southeast Arkansas is reputed to have supernatural origins. Found along the former locations of railroad tracks near Crossett, the light usually floats two or three feet above the ground but sometimes moves side to side or rises into the treetops. It disappears when one nears it, soon reappearing the same distance away.
This “spooklight,” similar to ones reported near Gurdon in Clark County, and in Missouri, is said to be the lantern of an unfortunate railroad worker whose head was cut off in an accident and who now wanders the former tracks in search of it. Others claim the Crossett Light is associated with extraterrestrial activity. More mundane explanations hold that the light is caused by swamp gas, or by the headlights of cars altered by an incline in the land.
The headlight theory, though, is debunked by the fact that the lights were reported in the early 1900s, long before cars were common. Regardless, the ghostly Crossett Light continues to delight visitors who go looking for it.
To learn more, visit encyclopediaofarkansas.net.
You can read the entire Encyclopedia entry at Crossett Light - Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
