Hi Cathryn. Boy! You sure don't get around very much.

“The Marfa Lights, mysterious and unexplained lights that have been reported in the area of Marfa for over one hundred years, have been the subject of many theories. The first recorded sighting of the lights was by rancher Robert Ellison in 1883. Variously described as campfires, phosphorescent minerals, swamp gas, static electricity, St. Elmo's Fire, and "ghost lights," the lights reportedly change colors, move around, and change in intensity. Scholars have reported over seventy-five local folk tales dealing with the unknown phenomenon.” - 1988" - Text of the "official" State of Texas road marker

“The Lights, which most people describe as spherical, appear south of Marfa each evening. They appear to bounce around, vanish, and then re-appear elsewhere. According to the legend, these lights have been observed since the 1800s. The Lights have become an important tourist attraction in Marfa, a town that has seen much better days. On a nice evening, dozens of people will stop and view the Lights at the "official" viewing area, about 10 miles east of town on Highway 90.”

Now that you have a general idea as to what they might be there are those of course who say they really know what they are.

“The best way to view the Lights, according to the "experts", is to go to the viewing area east of Marfa. Soon after dusk, the lights will appear, just to the right (west) of a radio tower. If you go, you'll easily see them if the weather is fairly clear. The Lights will indeed appear to move around, disappear, and then suddenly reappear. During this spectacle, the crowd at the viewing site will give a few hearty "wows" and "didja see that’s" to liven things up. If you wish to believe the "Mystery" Lights are mysterious, don't go with a pair of high-powered binoculars. Because if you do, you'll soon realize that the Lights are nothing more than the headlights and taillights of cars driving U.S. 67 between Marfa and Presidio, on the crest of the Chinati Mountains.”

“One question you may be asking yourself: "The lights have been reported since the 1800's. This means the Lights can't be from cars. Right?" Perhaps. But perhaps not. This particular story has been passed on by those who deny the mundane reality of the Lights. Are there indeed written accounts of the lights, written in the 1800’s that describe these Lights? If so, cite them - not second-hand references. (Note as of April 2000: In the 3 years this site has been up, no one has been able to furnish these references.) And if people did indeed report mysterious, unexplained lights, were scientists brought in to decide that the lights were unexplainable?”

The following is a typical account of the Lights:

"...a bright white (not red like the tower) point of light appeared at the base of the mountains near the tower, and could obviously be seen to move clockwise along the mountains. After about 10 seconds, (and already about one third of the way along the mountains) the light disappeared. In less than a minute, another light appeared and repeated the motions of the first...This turned out to be just the beginning. From then until midnight there was a nearly constant stream of Lights."

“Of course the lights trickle down after Midnight - traffic on the road between Presidio and Marfa is almost nil during those hours. These white lights appear to repeat their motions because there are numerous cars driving in the same direction, and the lights disappear when the car crests the mountain or the road dips into a gully.”

Now that you the know story. What do you think? Is of this the imagination of a bunch of people? Is there something to these lights? Or is it a bunch of people having fun with their imaginations simply because they love a mystery? Take Care…Don in creepy town