The Mount Pleasant Egg-Shaped UFO

On June 3, 1920, Clark Linch was fishing on his father’s farm near Mount Pleasant, Iowa, when he witnessed one of the earliest documented UFO landings in American history. Around 10 AM, a bizarre egg-shaped object appeared from the sky and descended silently, landing approximately 15 feet from where he stood. The encounter, which lasted about 15 minutes, was documented in the July 7, 1920 edition of the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

The Encounter

The Setting

That morning, the date was June 3, 1920, and the time was approximately 10 AM. Clark was fishing on his father’s farm, and the weather was clear enough for observation.

The Object Appears

Linch witnessed an egg-shaped object descending from the sky completely silently. It landed approximately 15 feet away and exhibited no visible propulsion. The descent was controlled.

The Object

Physical Description

Linch described the object as egg-shaped, with a “transparent blue” coloration and unusual optical properties. He noted that it would be nearly invisible at altitude and possessed a solid, structured craft.

Behavior

The object landed gently and remained stationary throughout the 15-minute encounter. No occupants emerged, and it stayed in place without any disturbance. It rose silently and departed, disappearing from view and utilizing a color that would render it invisible at height. It left no trace of propulsion.

Departure

The object rose into the air silently, without sound or disturbance, and disappeared from view. Its color would make it invisible at height, and it left no trace of propulsion.

Physical Evidence

Landing Site

Linch examined the area and found pressed grass and a clear impression on the ground. There were no scorch marks or burn damage, and a physical trace remained.

Significance

The evidence suggests the object possessed physical mass, made contact with the ground, left a measurable impression, and did not use heat-based propulsion. It was a real, tangible object.

Documentation

Newspaper Account

The sighting was reported in the Iowa City Press-Citizen on July 7, 1920. This was a contemporary documentation, written within weeks of the event and preserved in archives.

Credibility

This case matters because it was documented at the time, verified through a newspaper account, and supported by physical evidence. While the witness was single, the account was detailed, predating the era of “flying saucers.”

Historical Context

1920 Iowa

The setting was a rural farming community with no aviation nearby. The witness, Clark Linch, was familiar with the environment and noted that nothing matching the description existed. This pre-dated modern UFO awareness.

Technology of the Era

What didn’t exist were transparent blue aircraft, silent hovering crafts, egg-shaped vehicles, and any matching technology, including balloons of this description.

The Transparent Blue

Unusual Detail

The color was significant; it wasn’t metallic silver, a common later feature. It was a transparent quality, nearly invisible at altitude, suggesting advanced materials.

Camouflage?

Linch’s observation indicated that the object would be nearly invisible higher up, matching the color of the sky. This suggests a deliberate design, a stealth capability, and was ahead of any known technology.

Analysis

What It Wasn’t

The object could not have been a contemporary aircraft (wrong shape, silent), a balloon (wrong behavior, transparent), a weather phenomenon (too structured), or a natural object (controlled movement).

What It Might Have Been

Possibilities included a genuine unknown craft, an early UAP encounter, technology beyond the era, or something completely unexplained.

The Question

On a quiet morning in 1920, a farmer’s son went fishing. What he caught was a mystery. An egg-shaped object, transparent blue, silent as thought. It descended from the sky and landed 15 feet from where Clark Linch stood on his father’s property. He watched it for fifteen minutes. It just sat there. No door opened. No beings emerged. Just… waiting. Then it rose, silent as it had come, and disappeared into the Iowa sky. When Linch examined the landing spot, the grass was pressed flat. Something had been there. Something with weight. Something real. The Iowa City Press-Citizen published the account a month later. A contemporary record. A 1920 newspaper documenting a 1920 mystery. This was decades before “flying saucers.” Before Roswell. Before the Air Force had a name for what Linch saw. But he saw something. An egg of transparent blue, nearly invisible against the sky - except when it descended to land. What was it doing on that Iowa farm? We don’t know. Why did it stay for fifteen minutes? We don’t know. Where did it go? We don’t know. But the grass was pressed. The newspaper published the story. And Clark Linch spent fifteen minutes watching something impossible. The Mount Pleasant Egg-Shaped UFO. A 1920 mystery. Still unsolved. Still unexplained. Still waiting for an answer.

Sources

• Wikipedia search: “The Mount Pleasant Egg-Shaped UFO”
• Chronicling America (Library of Congress) — Historic US newspaper coverage (1690–1963)
• Chronicling America — Historic US newspapers (1690–1963)