The story never gained a lot of exposure at the time, but held on until it was commented on by UPI on May 24, 1973:
"Aurora, Tex. -- (UPI) -- A grave in a small north Texas cemetery contains the body of an 1897 astronaut who was
'not an inhabitant of this world,' according to the International UFO Bureau. The group, which investigates
unidentified flying objects, has already initiated legal proceedings to exhume the body and will go to court if necessary
to open the grave, director Hayden Hewes said Wednesday."
"After checking the grave with metal detectors and gathering facts for three months, we are certain as we can be at
this point [that] he was the pilot of a UFO which reportedly exploded atop a well on Judge J.S. Proctor's place, April
19, 1897," Hewes said." "He was not an inhabitant of this world."
The legend was back in the news! Only a couple of days later, UPI followed up the first report with another from
Aurora. They had located a living witness to the event.
A ninety-one-year-old who had been a girl of fifteen in Aurora at the time of the reported incident was quoted. "I had
all but forgotten the incident until it appeared in the newspapers recently." She said her parents had actually been to
the crash sight, but had not allowed her to accompany them for fear of what might be in the debris.
She recalled that the remains of the pilot, "a small man," had been buried in the Aurora cemetery, validating the other
legends.
The Associated Press now joined the chase for the sensational story. From the city of Denton, Texas came this
account: "A North Texas State University professor had found some metal fragments near the Oates gas station
(former Proctor farm). One fragment was said to be 'most intriguing' because it consisted primarily of iron which did
not seem to exhibit magnetic properties."
The professor also said he was puzzled because the fragment was "shiny and malleable instead of dull and brittle like
iron."
For reasons unknown, the Aurora Cemetery Association fought the attempts to exhume the alleged alien body. They
were successful, and the dead alien's remains stayed a mystery. The town of Aurora still shows traces of Military
intervention today, and the question must be asked, "Why would the U. S. Military be in the town of Aurora?"
Anyone familiar with the Roswell crash of 1947 will remember that debris from Mac Brazel's field was flown to Ft.
Worth, which is only a short hop's distance from Aurora. Is this why the Military was in Aurora? Could the
Government have the alien body?
Today Aurora, like other cities, is modernized, and yet a few hints of the past still remain. Although the headstone of
the alien was stolen, there remain pictures of it today. A copy of this photo now adorns the grave site.
There has been, at times, a lobby to exhume the remains of the little pilot and give it a proper burial, with a new
headstone. So far, this has not happened. Should the little grave be dug up, or should we just leave it and the
legend of the Aurora UFO alone?
"Aurora, Tex. -- (UPI) -- A grave in a small north Texas cemetery contains the body of an 1897 astronaut who was
'not an inhabitant of this world,' according to the International UFO Bureau. The group, which investigates
unidentified flying objects, has already initiated legal proceedings to exhume the body and will go to court if necessary
to open the grave, director Hayden Hewes said Wednesday."
"After checking the grave with metal detectors and gathering facts for three months, we are certain as we can be at
this point [that] he was the pilot of a UFO which reportedly exploded atop a well on Judge J.S. Proctor's place, April
19, 1897," Hewes said." "He was not an inhabitant of this world."
The legend was back in the news! Only a couple of days later, UPI followed up the first report with another from
Aurora. They had located a living witness to the event.
A ninety-one-year-old who had been a girl of fifteen in Aurora at the time of the reported incident was quoted. "I had
all but forgotten the incident until it appeared in the newspapers recently." She said her parents had actually been to
the crash sight, but had not allowed her to accompany them for fear of what might be in the debris.
She recalled that the remains of the pilot, "a small man," had been buried in the Aurora cemetery, validating the other
legends.
The Associated Press now joined the chase for the sensational story. From the city of Denton, Texas came this
account: "A North Texas State University professor had found some metal fragments near the Oates gas station
(former Proctor farm). One fragment was said to be 'most intriguing' because it consisted primarily of iron which did
not seem to exhibit magnetic properties."
The professor also said he was puzzled because the fragment was "shiny and malleable instead of dull and brittle like
iron."
For reasons unknown, the Aurora Cemetery Association fought the attempts to exhume the alleged alien body. They
were successful, and the dead alien's remains stayed a mystery. The town of Aurora still shows traces of Military
intervention today, and the question must be asked, "Why would the U. S. Military be in the town of Aurora?"
Anyone familiar with the Roswell crash of 1947 will remember that debris from Mac Brazel's field was flown to Ft.
Worth, which is only a short hop's distance from Aurora. Is this why the Military was in Aurora? Could the
Government have the alien body?
Today Aurora, like other cities, is modernized, and yet a few hints of the past still remain. Although the headstone of
the alien was stolen, there remain pictures of it today. A copy of this photo now adorns the grave site.
There has been, at times, a lobby to exhume the remains of the little pilot and give it a proper burial, with a new
headstone. So far, this has not happened. Should the little grave be dug up, or should we just leave it and the
legend of the Aurora UFO alone?
The state of Texas has always been called the "big state." This expression applies to many things, but is especially
true regarding "tall tales." I have heard them all of my life, and sometimes it is difficult to separate truth from fiction.
Such is the case with one story that comes from the small town of Aurora.
The town's history book labels the community as "the town that almost wasn't," and that expression is probably
applicable to the legend of a spaceship crashing into a windmill, and the burial of a small alien creature found in the
aftermath.
This event has become the most important news story to ever come out of this Texas city. Aurora was designated a
"historical site" by the State of Texas.
The year was 1897, and this was the year of the "great airships" reports in the United States. As the story goes, it
was on April 19, 1897, that a slow moving space ship crashed into a windmill, bursting into pieces. As the debris was
searched through, supposedly the body of a small alien was discovered.
Originally the alien pilot was dubbed the "Martian pilot." Some of the debris also revealed material sketched with a type
of hieroglyphic. The town folk gave the poor little creature a proper burial in the local cemetery.
This incident, whether true or not, has had just enough publicity to stay afloat for over 100 years. It was made into a
movie, "The Aurora Encounter" in 1986, starring Jack Elam.
The news of the crash spread quickly, even for that time period. A newspaper article of the event still exists, written
by S. E. Haydon, reporter for the Dallas Morning News. Below is the original article:
true regarding "tall tales." I have heard them all of my life, and sometimes it is difficult to separate truth from fiction.
Such is the case with one story that comes from the small town of Aurora.
The town's history book labels the community as "the town that almost wasn't," and that expression is probably
applicable to the legend of a spaceship crashing into a windmill, and the burial of a small alien creature found in the
aftermath.
This event has become the most important news story to ever come out of this Texas city. Aurora was designated a
"historical site" by the State of Texas.
The year was 1897, and this was the year of the "great airships" reports in the United States. As the story goes, it
was on April 19, 1897, that a slow moving space ship crashed into a windmill, bursting into pieces. As the debris was
searched through, supposedly the body of a small alien was discovered.
Originally the alien pilot was dubbed the "Martian pilot." Some of the debris also revealed material sketched with a type
of hieroglyphic. The town folk gave the poor little creature a proper burial in the local cemetery.
This incident, whether true or not, has had just enough publicity to stay afloat for over 100 years. It was made into a
movie, "The Aurora Encounter" in 1986, starring Jack Elam.
The news of the crash spread quickly, even for that time period. A newspaper article of the event still exists, written
by S. E. Haydon, reporter for the Dallas Morning News. Below is the original article:
THE AURORA, TEXAS CRASH OF 1897 by Billy Booth
ADVERTISERS
ASK ABOUT
ADVERTISER RATES
AND REACH YOUR
NEW CUSTOMERS!
ASK ABOUT
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AND REACH YOUR
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BILLY BOOTH has been a
UFO researcher and writer
for over 30 years. He has
contributed to many
books on the subject, and
is known as an expert on
evaluating UFO
photographs and video.
He has amassed a large
database of UFO sighings.
Billy has led many UFO
groups on the Internet,
and is webmaster of one
of the Internet's largest
UFO web sites. He often
is called upon to evaluate
UFO sightings. He has
also spent many years
researching UFO
photographs and video
film. He is known as an
expert on UFO crash
accounts, and had given
his opinion in several
books on the subject. He
has been a guest on
many UFO radio and
television programs. He is
a longtime member of
MUFON, the Mutual UFO
Network.
Billy has contributed
comment, video,
photographic, and
imagery to a number of
television programs on
the Discovery Channel, A
& E, and the History
Channel. He has
contributed to several
books on the subject of
UFOs.
UFO researcher and writer
for over 30 years. He has
contributed to many
books on the subject, and
is known as an expert on
evaluating UFO
photographs and video.
He has amassed a large
database of UFO sighings.
Billy has led many UFO
groups on the Internet,
and is webmaster of one
of the Internet's largest
UFO web sites. He often
is called upon to evaluate
UFO sightings. He has
also spent many years
researching UFO
photographs and video
film. He is known as an
expert on UFO crash
accounts, and had given
his opinion in several
books on the subject. He
has been a guest on
many UFO radio and
television programs. He is
a longtime member of
MUFON, the Mutual UFO
Network.
Billy has contributed
comment, video,
photographic, and
imagery to a number of
television programs on
the Discovery Channel, A
& E, and the History
Channel. He has
contributed to several
books on the subject of
UFOs.
| Copyright © 2009 JFS |
About 6 o'clock this morning the early risers of Aurora
were astonished at the sudden appearance of the
airship which has been sailing around the country. It
was traveling due north and much nearer the earth than
before.
Evidently some of the machinery was out of order, for it
was making a speed of only ten or twelve miles an hour,
and gradually settling toward the earth. It sailed over
the public square and when it reached the north part of
town it collided with the tower of Judge Proctor's
windmill and went into pieces with a terrific explosion,
scattering debris over several acres of ground, wrecking
the windmill and water tank and destroying the judge's
flower garden.
The pilot of the ship is supposed to have been the only
one aboard and, while his remains were badly disfigured,
enough of the original has been picked up to show that
he was not an inhabitant of this world.
were astonished at the sudden appearance of the
airship which has been sailing around the country. It
was traveling due north and much nearer the earth than
before.
Evidently some of the machinery was out of order, for it
was making a speed of only ten or twelve miles an hour,
and gradually settling toward the earth. It sailed over
the public square and when it reached the north part of
town it collided with the tower of Judge Proctor's
windmill and went into pieces with a terrific explosion,
scattering debris over several acres of ground, wrecking
the windmill and water tank and destroying the judge's
flower garden.
The pilot of the ship is supposed to have been the only
one aboard and, while his remains were badly disfigured,
enough of the original has been picked up to show that
he was not an inhabitant of this world.
| TODAY IS |
