Depending on what you believe, these stories can range from the ridiculous to the truly terrifying. But some spooky desert tales, no matter how unbelievable, are intriguing enough to warrant further exploration, and author Patrick Whitehurst's latest book, “Eerie Arizona” is a great starting point.
Whitehurst was born and raised in Monterey, California, and moved to Flagstaff when he was 21 years old. He graduated from Northern Arizona University with a communications degree and has written several books about Arizona, including “Williams,” “Grand Canyon’s Tusayan Village” and “Murder and Mayhem in Tucson.” But his interest in the supernatural led him to write something about Arizona beyond a standard history. It was during his time as a Flagstaff reporter that the inspiration for “Eerie Arizona” was born.
Author Patrick Whitehurst explores Arizona's most haunted lore in "Eerie Arizona."
Arcadia Publishing
“I gravitated toward the strange stories, whether that be lights in the sky, Halloween yarns of ghosts captured on security cameras — you name it, and I wanted to cover it,” Whitehurst says. “‘Eerie’ combines all of the things that attract me personally: mysteries, aliens, monsters and ghosts.”
Now 52, Whitehurst says his interests have always leaned toward the supernatural. His first longform writings dealt with urban legends and ghost stories in the Pacific Northwest.
“As a kid, I read a ton of local Monterey ghost stories penned by Randall A. Reinstedt — usually under the covers — and he had a large influence on me as a writer.”
In “Eerie Arizona,” Whitehurst covers Phoenix’s haunted Orpheum Theatre, the 1997 Phoenix Lights event and tales of the bloodsucking cryptid known as the chupacabra. One of the most intriguing stories he writes about is that of Route 666, or the “Devil’s Highway,” which ran vertically through the eastern part of the state. In 2003, it was officially absorbed into existing Route 491, a spur of U.S. 191, to try and rid its reputation as an evil roadway.
Those kinds of tales aren’t exclusive to Arizona, but the state has some of the most intriguing lore in the country.
“There are numerous reasons behind Arizona's high creep factor, though I'd argue most states have their fair share of chills, too,” Whitehurst contends. “Arizona has a history of bloodshed thanks to its Wild West roots, such as the O.K. Corral shootout. On top of that, the land has been home to many people long before it was known as a territory and, as such, carries with it a rich, pre-settler history. I'd add, in the context of weird lights in the sky, the wide open, clear skies make visibility easier than, say, New York. There, they see drones. Here, we see black triangles.”
From flying objects of unknown origin to eyewitness accounts of spectral hitchhikers glowing in the desert, there is a real supernatural history to Arizona, one that often overlaps with what we can find in history books.
“I think the two go hand in hand,” says Whitehurst. “The supernatural history of a location, such as the Hotel Congress in Tucson, can swing directly into legend. Whether it's the story of Dillinger's short stay there or the suicide of a guest, it starts as historical fact and grows into legend. Without one, the other wouldn't exist.
"I tend to begin with historical facts when I write, but the legends and paranormal aspects are shared as they've always been, through the whisper network," he continues. There's usually someone who swears their accuracy, but there are some who swear burgers with pineapple rings on them are the best dish. One's truth isn't always another's.”
As to whether Whitehurst has encountered anything supernatural himself, that's a different story. He's a lover of the strange and surreal, but hasn't experienced the paranormal first-hand. He suspects it might be the lack of a certain gene or mindset, “or the right chemical mixture in my brain that allows some to see these things.”
“That may not be how it works," he adds. "I don't know since I've not seen any ghosts. I did get the chills once at a haunted site in Soledad, California, and once saw unidentifiable lights over a hill between Williams and the Grand Canyon. Since I'm naturally logical, I'll add that in the first instance it was raining and in the second instance I was drinking.”
A screengrab of camcorder footage of the V-shaped formation of lights that appeared over the Valley on March 13, 1997. The Phoenix Lights are one of Arizona's most famous unexplained events.
Screen Capture
Proving the existence of the paranormal is not Whitehurst’s job; he's simply the messenger, and his books are filled with enough research and information for readers to make up their own minds.
Think of him as an investigative journalist of urban legends and the metaphysical. Just like his childhood inspiration Reinstedt, Whitehurst doesn't see himself as weaving yarns about things that go bump in the night; he's documenting his state's spiritual essence and the mysteries lying therein. And that's not all he wants readers to take away from "Eerie Arizona."
“First and foremost, I hope (readers) will be entertained and secondly, learn that Arizona is a magical place,” he says. “Not just because of Alice Cooper and the Phoenix Suns, but because this state has paranormal encounters, unidentifiable objects in the sky and supernatural beings that are rarely found anywhere else. We have the chupacabra and the Phoenix Lights, which to me makes Arizona pretty cool.”
As for the future, Whitehurst is letting a few ideas simmer for a follow-up nonfiction book, :but I'm waiting for the inspirational lightning bolt before pulling the trigger. In the meantime, I've started a goth crime fiction novel set in Phoenix that will keep me busy through 2025.”
“Eerie Arizona” is available in most Barnes and Noble booksellers and ACE Hardware stores and on Amazon or Whitehurst’s website.
