# Yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s

> Still possible: Yes; settlers and cowboys saw the lights in the 1880s, before any motor traffic.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/answers/ANS0DCKMQ0G4TX8/yes-the-lights-were-seen-in-the-1880s  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Marfa lights](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights)[Is there any record of the lights from before motor traffic reached the Marfa plain?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/questions/QST0DCKKQ0VS3WG/is-there-any-record-of-the-lights-from-before-motor-traffic)Answer

Answer · Marfa lights

# Yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s

Yes; settlers and cowboys saw the lights in the 1880s, before any motor traffic.

**Still possible** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** Two pieces of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- A letter, diary, newspaper item or memoir written before about 1920 describes lights on the Marfa plain.

## What would rule it out

- A thorough search of local newspapers, county records and settlers' papers from before 1920 finds nothing.

## Evidence 2 for · 1 against

[Coronet in 1957 said settlers had first reported the light more than 70 years before.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/evidence/EVD0DCKPM0C04GR/coronet-in-1957-said-settlers-had-first-reported-the-light)

Speculative

FOR

[Ellison's granddaughter recalled that he told the family of lights near Paisano Pass that they could not explain and…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/evidence/EVD0DCKPKMEW0MT/ellisons-granddaughter-recalled-that-he-told-the-family-of)

Speculative

FOR

[Ellison's own 1937 memoir describes the 1883 drive across the Marfa plain but makes no clear reference to mysterious…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/evidence/EVD0DCKPME474BS/ellisons-own-1937-memoir-describes-the-1883-drive-across-the)

Supported

AGAINST

[Hallie Stillwell said in 1989 that she saw lights over the Chinati Mountains in 1916, while travelling by car near…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/evidence/EVD0DCKPMSWTVXR/hallie-stillwell-said-in-1989-that-she-saw-lights-over-the)

Speculative

NEUTRAL

## The questions it answers

[Is there any record of the lights from before motor traffic reached the Marfa plain?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/questions/QST0DCKKQ0VS3WG/is-there-any-record-of-the-lights-from-before-motor-traffic)

Part of [Once vehicles, ranch and other artificial lights, fires, stars and mirages are excluded, do any Marfa lights remain unexplained?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/questions/QST0DCKKKFZBKJA/once-vehicles-ranch-and-other-artificial-lights-fires-stars)

Open3 answers, none ahead

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s [Answer ANS0DCKMQ0G4TX8]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DCKMQ0G4TX8
```

Key

**ANS** 0DCKMQ0G4TX8

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Proposed

[Session 1](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/marfa-lights/sessions/SES0DCKT02BYWPQ/session-1-the-marfa-lights-added-history-instrumented) · 28 Oct 2026

Version

2

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