A centuries-old mystery light phenomenon on the former railroad bed of the rural Bingham community near Latta, SC — swinging, color-shifting, and witnessed by generations of Dillon County residents.
Reedy Springs Court, Latta, SC 29565
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free; public rural road access
Access
Limited Access
Dirt road and swampy lowland; not wheelchair accessible
Equipment
Photos OK
The former railroad community known as Bingham occupies a stretch of swampy Pee Dee lowland in Dillon County, about two miles from Latta. The area is bisected by Little Reedy Creek and accessed today by unpaved roads including South Butler Road and Reedy Springs Court — the latter running along the old railroad bed where the tracks have long been removed.
The tradition of Bingham's Light is one of the most enduring folk traditions in the Pee Dee region, with accounts stretching back to the late 1800s. The light is described by witnesses as a swinging, glowing sphere that begins small — reportedly baseball-sized — and swells to beach-ball dimensions, changing color (white, blue, green, or a warm yellow) and moving erratically at roughly shoulder height. It is said to respond to observers' presence, sometimes approaching to within 50 yards before retreating or vanishing. Multiple community members have described seeing it since childhood, including longtime resident Genetria McGill of Bingham.
The conventional explanatory legend holds that the light is the lantern of a man killed by a train on the tracks that once ran through the community. The name "Bingham" attached to both the light and the community likely reflects a historical family or landowner in the area, though the specific individual behind the railroad-death legend remains unverified in historical records. Researchers have also proposed a natural explanation: methane gas released from decaying organic matter in Little Reedy Creek's standing water can self-ignite in certain conditions, producing a slow-moving, color-shifting flame that would closely match the described phenomenon.
Sources
The Bingham's Light legend follows a structure common to railroad ghost lights across the American South, but its longevity and community specificity set it apart. According to the dominant local tradition, a man known as Bingham — first name given as John or Bill in different tellings — was walking the railroad tracks through his community one night carrying a lantern when he was struck and killed by a train. Whether he fell onto the tracks, tried to fix a broken rail, or simply failed to hear the train's approach varies by account. In death, the legend says, his light continues to swing along the old line.
Witnesses describe summoning the light by calling out "Bingham" after dark on Reedy Springs Court, facing the direction of the former rail bed. The light reportedly appears at the far end of the straightaway, small at first, then growing, swaying laterally like someone walking — or a lantern being carried at a walking pace. It is described as distinctly non-stationary, unlike a fixed light source, and as varying in color from white to blue to green across multiple sightings. Multiple generations of Dillon County residents report having seen the phenomenon personally.
According to the SCNow Pee Dee Weekly ghost-hunting guide, Bingham's Light is one of the Pee Dee region's most recognized paranormal destinations, consistently drawing visitors who try to summon the light by calling Bingham's name — a tradition the guide documents as a living local practice. Witness Derrick Farrier, whose account was published by GhostVillage.com, described the phenomenon over multiple visits between 2010 and 2013 as "a soft, faint blue-cream ball" that moved erratically and sometimes approached before retreating.
Scientific interest in the site has produced a competing explanation: the conditions around Little Reedy Creek — standing water over organic-rich sediment — are consistent with methane gas formation. Methane seeping through water can self-ignite in warm conditions, producing a slow-moving, luminescent flame. Some investigators have also suggested that the sightline from Reedy Springs Court to South Butler Road may allow distant car headlights to appear as a swinging light under specific atmospheric conditions. The mystery has not been definitively resolved.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Park on Reedy Springs Court near the former railroad bed and Little Reedy Creek. Local tradition holds that calling out to Bingham summons a swinging, color-shifting light from the swampy lowland — best observed between mid-March and mid-April.
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