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Is there any record of the lights from before motor traffic reached the Marfa plain?

Asked 28 Oct 2026 by ·Part of Once vehicles, ranch and other artificial lights, fires, stars and mirages are excluded, do any Marfa lights remain unexplained?·3 answers·0·0 following
Three answers, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

If the lights were seen in the 1880s, headlights cannot be the whole story. The 1883 Ellison sighting is the usual evidence, but it is absent from his 1937 memoir, and the earliest written report found is from 1945⁠[1].

Answers 3

Evidence: 3 for, 1 against
Still possible
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 2 for, 1 against
Still possible

What would settle it

  1. Find and read the San Angelo Times story of February 1945 and Ellison's 1937 memoir, then search Presidio County newspapers before 1920 for any report of lights on the Marfa plain.

History

  1. Moran puts forward: yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s
  2. Moran: coronet in 1957 said settlers had first reported the light more than 70 years before.For: Yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s
  3. Moran: coronet in 1957 said settlers had reported the light more than 70 years earlier.Against: No; nothing is written down before 1945
  4. Moran: the earliest known written report of the lights is a San Angelo Times story of February 1945, "Ghost Light Appears in…For: No; nothing is written down before 1945
  5. Smith puts forward: yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s
  6. Hall puts forward: no; nothing is written down before 1945
  7. Hall: ellison's granddaughter recalled that he told the family of lights near Paisano Pass that they could not explain and…For: Yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s
  8. Hall: the earliest known written report of the lights is a San Angelo Times story of February 1945, "Ghost Light Appears in…For: No; nothing is written down before 1945
  9. Dunning puts forward: no; nothing is written down before 1945
  10. Dunning: ellison's own 1937 memoir describes the 1883 drive across the Marfa plain but makes no clear reference to mysterious…Against: Yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s
  11. Borraz Aymerich & Ballester Olmos: ellison's own 1937 memoir describes the 1883 drive across the Marfa plain but makes no clear reference to mysterious…Against: Yes; the lights were seen in the 1880s
  12. Borraz Aymerich & Ballester Olmos: ellison's 1937 memoir of the 1883 drive has no clear reference to the lights; the story reaches print only through his…For: No; nothing is written down before 1945
  13. Session 1: raised the question and proposed two answers
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