Railroad tracks near Gurdon, Arkansas

In 1931 the depression gripped the town of Gurdon. Work was scarce, and men would become angry and desperate in their search. One such instance played itself out near the railroad tracks of Gurdon.

On a frigid December night William McClain, a foreman for Missouri-Pacific railroad, was confronted by an employee that needed more work hours. William, typically accommodating, could not provide the man with the extra hours. With the holidays so close, William was determined to spread out the working hours to all the men, giving them each a fair share.

The employee, now enraged, continued to berate William in the cold night. With murderous rage the man struck William in the head with a shovel. William tried to struggle to his feet but the man found a pick ax and repeatedly stabbed William.

William McClain died at that spot in the cold night.

Shortly after William's murder people began to see a strange light appear along the tracks. The light seems to move along side the railroad tracks. Many people believe that this is the ghost of William still checking the tracks, with lantern in hand, as he did in life.

People have described the light as orange or yellow, like a flame in an oil fueled lantern.

People typically have witnessed the ghost light from a distance. Approaching the ghost light is near impossible due to the rough terrain that surrounds the tracks. When people have made their way to the tracks the light has usually disappeared.

Gurdon is located approximately eighty-five miles south of Little Rock (Pulaski County) on Interstate 30, just east of the Interstate on Highway 67.