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Aurora UFO Crash
On April 17, 1897, during a wave of 'mystery airship' sightings, a cigar-shaped craft allegedly crashed into a windmill in Aurora, Texas. The pilot - 'not of this world' - was supposedly buried in the local cemetery. Despite hoax claims, interest persists and some have sought to exhume the grave.
1897
Aurora, Texas, USA
1+ witnesses
America’s first reported UFO crash predates Roswell by 50 years.
The Story
April 17, 1897:
- Mystery airship wave
- Nationwide sightings
- Aurora, Texas
- Early morning
- Crash into windmill
The Account
What was reported:
- Cigar-shaped craft
- Hit Judge Proctor’s windmill
- Exploded on impact
- Debris scattered
- Body recovered
The Pilot
What was found:
- Small being
- “Not of this world”
- Papers found
- Strange hieroglyphics
- Buried locally
The Burial
What happened:
- Aurora Cemetery
- Local minister officiated
- Grave unmarked
- Or marked with symbol
- Location disputed
The Investigation
Later inquiries:
- 1970s renewed interest
- Residents interviewed
- Cemetery examined
- Metal detected
- Exhumation denied
The Skepticism
Hoax theories:
- Dallas Morning News story
- Town dying
- Publicity stunt
- No windmill found
- Conflicting accounts
The Mystery
What persists:
- Some testimonies credible
- Metal fragments found
- Grave marker stolen
- Interest continues
- Truth unknown