Eagle River Pancake Incident

The Eagle River Pancake Incident stands as one of the strangest and most charming UFO encounters ever reported. A Wisconsin farmer claimed aliens landed in his yard and gave him pancakes. The U.S. Air Force actually investigated, the Food and Drug Administration analyzed the pancakes, and everyone was left scratching their heads at one of the most peculiar close encounters on record.

April 18, 1961

Joe Simonton was a 60-year-old chicken farmer in Eagle River, Wisconsin:

Time: Approximately 11:00 AM on a Tuesday morning.

Location: Simonton’s rural property in Eagle River.

Weather: Clear spring day.

Activity: Simonton was having his late morning breakfast when he heard a noise outside.

The Landing

Simonton went outside to investigate:

The Craft: He observed a bright, silvery object descending from the sky.

Shape: Described as disc-shaped, “brighter than chrome.”

Size: Approximately 30 feet in diameter and 12 feet high.

Landing: The craft landed about 25 feet from his house.

Sound: It made a sound like “knobby tires on wet pavement.”

The Occupants

A hatch opened on the craft:

Number: Three beings were visible inside.

Appearance: They looked human - about 5 feet tall, dark hair, olive skin, dressed in dark blue or black.

Age: They appeared to be young, perhaps 25-30 years old.

Demeanor: They were calm and peaceful, not threatening.

Communication: They gestured rather than speaking.

The Request

One of the beings held up a container:

The Jug: A silvery jug or pitcher, apparently empty.

Gesture: The being indicated he wanted water.

Simonton’s Response: The farmer took the jug and filled it with water from his pump.

Exchange: When he returned the water, he noticed one being operating what looked like a grill.

The Pancakes

The strangest part of an already strange story:

Cooking: One being appeared to be cooking on a flameless grill inside the craft.

The Gift: Simonton pointed at the cooking and the being handed him three small pancakes.

Description: The pancakes were about 3 inches in diameter with small holes in them.

Departure: After the exchange, the hatch closed and the craft took off.

The Investigation

The incident attracted official attention:

Project Blue Book: The U.S. Air Force investigated under their UFO program.

J. Allen Hynek: The Air Force’s scientific consultant visited and interviewed Simonton.

Simonton’s Character: Investigators found him to be sincere and not seeking publicity.

Conclusion: Blue Book classified the case as “unexplained.”

The Pancake Analysis

One of the pancakes was analyzed:

Food and Drug Administration: The FDA tested the pancake.

Findings: It was made of buckwheat bran, soybean hulls, and wheat chaff.

Salt: Notably, it contained no salt.

Assessment: It was edible but bland - “like cardboard” according to those who tasted it.

Origin: The ingredients were terrestrial.

Simonton’s Character

The witness was highly credible:

Reputation: Known in the community as honest and hardworking.

No Publicity: He didn’t seek attention and found the experience embarrassing.

Consistency: His story never changed despite ridicule.

J. Allen Hynek’s Assessment: Hynek believed Simonton was telling the truth about what he experienced.

The Folklore Connection

Researchers noted interesting parallels:

Fairy Folklore: In European fairy tales, fae creatures often offered food to humans.

Food Taboos: Eating fairy food was said to bind one to the fairy realm.

Celtic Traditions: Stories of “the good folk” cooking and offering food are ancient.

Jung Connection: Some researchers saw archetypal symbolism in the encounter.

Theories

Various explanations have been proposed:

Hallucination: Simonton experienced a vivid hallucination. His consistent story and character argue against this.

Hoax: He fabricated the story. He had no apparent motive and was embarrassed by the attention.

Genuine Encounter: Something actually happened, though its nature is unclear.

Psychological Event: A real experience that might not have physical reality in the conventional sense.

The Significance

The case is notable for several reasons:

Official Investigation: The Air Force took it seriously enough to investigate.

Physical Evidence: There was a physical artifact - the pancakes - to analyze.

Witness Credibility: Simonton was universally regarded as honest.

Absurdity: The sheer strangeness of the story argues against fabrication - who would make this up?

J. Allen Hynek’s View

The Air Force’s chief UFO consultant was thoughtful about the case:

Belief in Simonton: Hynek believed Simonton was sincere.

Real Experience: He believed something real happened to the farmer.

Uncertainty: What that something was remained unclear.

High Strangeness: Hynek later used such cases to develop his concept of “high strangeness” in UFO encounters.

Cultural Impact

The case became part of UFO lore:

Unique: Few other cases involve beings sharing food with witnesses.

Humor: The absurdity has made it a lighthearted favorite among researchers.

Questions: It raises questions about the nature of UFO encounters.

Authenticity: Its very strangeness may argue for its authenticity - no hoaxer would choose such a ridiculous story.

Legacy

The Eagle River Pancake Incident matters because:

• A credible witness reported an absurd but consistent story
• Official investigation found no evidence of hoax
• Physical evidence existed and was analyzed
• The case challenges assumptions about what UFO encounters should look like
• It remains genuinely puzzling despite its apparent absurdity

Whatever landed in Joe Simonton’s yard that spring morning, and whoever handed him those bland buckwheat pancakes, the encounter remains one of the most delightfully strange chapters in UFO history.

Sources

• Project Blue Book files
• J. Allen Hynek interviews
• FDA analysis report
• Local news coverage
• Joe Simonton pancake incident - Wikipedia