One hundred thirty-nine years ago, a group of cowboys reported finding an unidentified object on the prairie, a story that took the state by storm. The only problem? This alien encounter in Nebraska was a hoax! In honor of the spooky season, let's investigate one of the most fascinating and enigmatic entries in Cornhusker history— a fabricated tale of celestial visitation that introduced hundreds to the concept of extraterrestrial life.
Our story takes place in Benkelman of Dundy County, Nebraska. This community of 800 is still tiny by today's standards, but in 1884, its most populous inhabitants were prairie dogs and other grassland animals.
It was a punishingly hot June. Rancher John Ellis and several of his cowboys were cooling off that evening when they witnessed a massive object crash in the distance. Upon riding over, they found that the site was too hot to approach and decided to return the next day.
After a night of tossing and turning, the men trekked out the following morning. At the impact site, they discovered the wreckage of a cylindrical object they estimated to be "fifty or sixty feet" in length. Just a day later, the State Journal ran the riveting headline: "A Celestial Visitor. A Startling and Curious Story from the Ranges of Dundy County. A Blazing Aerolite Falls to the Astounded Earth..." Readers voraciously consumed details of the crash, from one cowboy's blistered face to another's singed hair. One of the Journal's columns speculated that the "air vessel" was from another planet.
Benkelman residents were eager to see the crash site for themselves and demanded to know its location. In response, The Journal issued another report two days after publishing their blockbuster article, stating that the mysterious object had dissolved in the rain. This news didn't dissuade alien enthusiasts, who spent years searching for evidence of the UFO, and a state-wide spate of alleged alien encounters would follow the frenzy caused by the Benkelman crash.
It wasn't until 1927— almost fifty years later— that the Nebraska State Journal could definitively prove that the 1884 story was a hoax. The Journal's former managing editor, James D. Calhoun, was exposed by his former assistant, Horace W. Hebbard, who shared details of the conspiracy for the paper's 60th-anniversary edition.
Surprisingly, it wasn't uncommon for writers of that period to flagrantly exaggerate or even fabricate stories, increasing their readership and filling editorial space. However, it's safe to say that this particular tall tale took off more than was expected.
Though this alien encounter in Nebraska was a hoax, Cornhuskers continue to report seemingly inexplicable experiences. Could it be the size of our sky that inspires the imagination?
For fans of things that go bump in the night, consider planning a road trip to visit some of the state's most notorious destinations. Perhaps you'll be the next Nebraskan to have an extraterrestrial encounter.
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