Historic monster reports in Kansas

1. 1869
2. The Evening Telegraph. Philadelphia · Aug. 31, 1869 · Page 1

   A gorilla at large in Kansas

   Arcadia, Crawford County, Kansas · Aug. 15, 1869

   A letter from Arcadia to the St. Louis Democrat said a wild man or gorilla had been seen at different times by nearly everyone in the valley, and occasionally across the line in Missouri, and had several times come close to houses. The story inspired Mark Twain's satirical "interview" with the wild man, which papers reprinted for months.

   “It is nothing less than the discovery of a wild man or gorilla.”

   Also printed in 8 other papers

   • The Evening Telegraph., Philadelphia, Sept. 22, 1869, p. 6
   • Memphis Daily Appeal., Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 3, 1869, p. 2
   • Staunton Spectator., Staunton, Va., Oct. 12, 1869, p. 1
   • Clearfield Republican., Clearfield, Pa., Oct. 20, 1869, p. 7
   • North Iowa Times., McGregor, Iowa, Oct. 20, 1869, p. 1
   • The Weekly Panola Star., Panola, Miss., Oct. 23, 1869, p. 1
   • Bristol News., Bristol, Va. & Tenn., Oct. 29, 1869, p. 1
   • The State Rights Democrat., Albany, Linn County, Oregon, Dec. 10, 1869, p. 1
3. 1897
4. The Topeka State Journal. Topeka, Kansas · March 1, 1897 · Page 3

   Telegraph operators watch for the Kansas airship

   Northern Kansas approx. · Feb. 28, 1897

   From Atchison came word that the supposed Kansas airship had been seen in Nebraska, and that railroad telegraph operators across northern Kansas spent the night watching for it.

5. Courier Democrat Langdon, N.D. · March 11, 1897 · Page 2

   A winged ship ablaze with light over Ellinwood

   Ellinwood, Kansas · March 1897

   Ellinwood citizens described an immense airship moving south at about forty miles an hour, with two huge wings or propellers on each side and a rudder at the back. It was lit from stem to stern and stayed in view for about ten minutes. The paper noted that Ellinwood was a dry town.

   “The ship was one blaze of light from stem to stern”

   Also printed in 6 other papers

   • Rocky Ford Enterprise, March 11, 1897, p. 1
   • The Indicator, March 13, 1897, p. 2
   • The Pioneer Express., Pembina, Dakota, March 19, 1897, p. 6
   • The Washburn Leader., Washburn, McLean County, N.D., March 20, 1897, p. 2
   • Reporter and Farmer., Webster, Day County, Dakota, April 8, 1897, p. 1
   • Lewiston Teller., Lewiston, North Idaho, April 23, 1897, p. 1
6. Kansas City Journal. Kansas City, Mo. · March 28, 1897 · Page 1

   Scores of Belleville people see it under control

   Belleville, Kansas · March 27, 1897

   The airship sighted around Kansas and southern Nebraska for a month passed over Belleville several times in one week, and many residents watched it. They believed it was the same machine first reported in California and that someone was steering it.

7. The Herald April 2, 1897 · Page 2

   Kansas City swears to the strange lights

   Kansas City, Kansas · April 1, 1897

   On April Fools' Day, many respectable citizens of Kansas City, Kansas, solemnly declared they had seen the strange lights at 8 p.m., and the papers printed an affidavit. Two nights later, thousands in Kansas City said the visitor came back.

   “Notwithstanding that this is the first day of April”

   Also printed in 7 other papers

   • The Topeka State Journal., Topeka, Kansas, April 2, 1897, p. 3
   • The Record-union, April 2, 1897, p. 9
   • The Wichita Daily Eagle., Wichita, Kan., April 2, 1897, p. 1
   • The Guthrie Daily Leader., Guthrie, Okla., April 3, 1897, p. 1
   • The Leader, April 7, 1897, p. 2
   • Abilene Weekly Reflector., Abilene, Kan., April 8, 1897, p. 3
   • The Flagstaff Sun-democrat, April 8, 1897, p. 5
8. The Topeka State Journal. Topeka, Kansas · May 5, 1897 · Page 5

   Topeka's airship was a kite

   Topeka, Kansas · April 10, 1897

   Several hundred Topekans had watched an airship in the western sky one Saturday night. Weeks later the paper revealed it was a government experimental kite with two lanterns hung on it, sent up by a Mr. Patten.

   Probably a hoax or tall tale Explained: a kite carrying two lanterns.

9. The Times. Richmond, Va. · April 28, 1897 · Page 6

   Alexander Hamilton's stolen heifer

   Near Le Roy, Woodson County, Kansas approx. · April 19, 1897

   Former legislator Alexander Hamilton swore that an airship hovered over his farm, roped a three-year-old heifer and carried it off, and that the hide was found miles away the next day. Papers from Kansas to Utah printed his story.

   Probably a hoax or tall tale Called "the champion lie" at the time; Hamilton was later reported to have made it up as a joke with friends.

   Also printed in 2 other papers

   • The Advocate, April 28, 1897, p. 8
   • The Salt Lake Herald., Salt Lake City, May 1, 1897, p. 5

Other states

• California 25
• Connecticut 6
• Illinois 7
• Massachusetts 12
• Nebraska 7
• New Jersey 13
• New York 9
• Washington 5
• West Virginia 5
• Wisconsin 5

All historic encounters

Newspaper pages: Library of Congress, Chronicling America (US newspapers published before 1927 are in the public domain). Text search: American Stories (Dell, Bryan, Carlson and others, CC BY 4.0). Summaries are our own. Place data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).