The Screven Spook Light: an excerpt from Haunts & Hollows: Georgia Backroads.
There are few Southern Gothic traditions quite like the spook light. Every small town below the Mason-Dixon Line claims at least one. Alongside crybaby bridges and women in white, spook lights remain an integral part of local paranormal lore for most Southern communities.
If you follow State Road 84 out of the tiny hamlet of Screven, you’ll likely miss the intersection with Bennett Road. A winding dirt path that trails off into the scrub, Bennett is unremarkable save for the fact that it leads the lonely traveler to Milligan’s Crossing. A secluded railroad pass with no crossing arms or warning lights, Milligan’s intersects with the old Seaboard Coast Line.
During the day, this spot may not warrant a second look. At night, however, Milligan’s has earned a reputation for the namesake lights that have danced here for more than 100 years. Usually seen shortly after midnight, the Screven Spook Light appears as a ball of phosphorescent fire that floats just over the railroad tracks to the north. It will fade in and out as it crosses the rails before disappearing into the distance. Reports of the phenomenon date back to the American Civil War and continue today.
Two explanations offer sources for the mysterious light. The most often told is the tale of a Seaboard Coast flagman walking the tracks at night. He allegedly died when hit and decapitated by an oncoming train. The spook light is thought to be the lamp of the dead man as he searchesfor his missing head. A second theory, one that is often used to explain such lights in other communities, is that the man’s wife now spends eternity walking the rails at night hoping to find her husband still alive.
Note: Take extra care when visiting this site. The tracks here still carry trains, so please take an abundance of caution.
Haunts & Hollows: Georgia Backroads
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