The Aurora Texas Incident (1897)
The Aurora Texas UFO incident, one of the oldest documented cases of a UFO sighting in the United States, occurred in the early morning hours of April 17, 1897, in the small town of Aurora, Texas, located about 15 miles north of Fort Worth. Reports detailed a mysterious object crashing into a windmill on a local farm, owned by J.S. Proctor, resulting in a large explosion.
Initially reported by the Dallas Morning News via an article written by Aurora resident S.E. Haydon, the event indicated an “aircraft” had fallen from the sky, with debris scattered around the crash site that was unlike anything the locals had ever seen before. The story soon found its way into other newspapers across the country, generating widespread interest in this strange event.
Local farmer and respected community member, J.S. Proctor, witnessed a cigar-shaped object flying overhead before it crashed. He described the object as being about 90 feet long and 10 feet wide, emanating a bright light. There were claims of a figure, believed to be an alien, emerging from the wreckage before being hastily taken away by several men in black suits.
The Aurora incident fascinated UFO enthusiasts and researchers, leading to many theories. Some proposed the object was an experimental military aircraft, while others insisted it was an extraterrestrial spacecraft. A particular point of interest was the claim that the alien pilot was buried in the local Aurora Cemetery.
According to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), the Aurora Texas UFO incident is the sole documented case of a UFO crash in the 19th century. In 1973, the town of Aurora erected a plaque in honor of the incident, which reads: “In memory of the pilot of the UFO who died here April 17, 1897.”
Several books and articles document the incident, including “The Great Airship of 1897: A UFO Mystery Solved?” by Kevin D. Randle and Russ Estes, “The UFO Encyclopedia: The Phenomenon from the Beginning” by John Spencer, and “The Great Texas Airship Mystery” by Wallace O. Chariton, providing a comprehensive look at a wave of airship sightings across Texas in 1897, including the Aurora incident.
The incident has also been examined by researchers such as Bill Case, an aviation writer for the Dallas Times Herald, who conducted investigations at the alleged crash site using metal detectors but found no additional evidence.
Sources:
- National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) – https://www.nuforc.org/
- “The Great Airship of 1897: A UFO Mystery Solved?” by Kevin D. Randle and Russ Estes (1999)
- “The UFO Encyclopedia: The Phenomenon from the Beginning” by John Spencer (1998)
- “The Great Texas Airship Mystery” by Wallace O. Chariton
