According to most accounts , it has appeared continually since the late 19th century , although it was generally not well known to anyone but locals until after World War II . Some date the first encounters with the light back to the Trail of Tears in the 1830s . However , the first documented sighting is generally accepted to have occurred in 1881 , although some report sightings as far back as 1866 . The earliest published report was in 1936 in the '' Kansas City Star ''
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Spooklight