The Delphos Ring Physical Trace Case (1971)

On November 2, 1971, sixteen-year-old Ronald Johnson was tending sheep on his family’s farm near Delphos, Kansas when he observed a mushroom-shaped craft hovering just above the ground approximately 75 feet away. When the object departed, it left behind a glowing ring on the soil that would persist for years - resistant to water, causing numbness in anyone who touched it, and eventually analyzed by multiple laboratories. The Delphos case remains one of the most thoroughly documented physical trace cases in UFO history, with evidence that persists to this day.

The Witness

Ronald Johnson

Primary observer:

• 16 years old
• Son of Durel and Erma Johnson
• Tending family sheep with dog
• No history of fabrication
• Consistent in account

The Family Farm

The location:

• Near Delphos, Kansas
• Ottawa County
• Rural farming community
• Isolated location
• November evening

The Sighting

Initial Observation

What Ronald saw:

• Approximately 7:00 PM
• Mushroom-shaped object
• Approximately 9 feet in diameter
• Covered with multicolored lights across entire surface
• Hovering approximately 2 feet above ground
• Distance: approximately 75 feet from witness

The Object

Description:

• Dome-shaped top
• Wider base
• Self-luminous
• Lights pulsating
• Structured appearance
• Silent initially

Sound

What was heard:

• Rumbling sound
• “Like mom’s washing machine out of balance”
• Low frequency
• Vibrating quality
• Object remained stationary for approximately 3 minutes

Departure

The exit:

• Object departed with sound similar to jet engine
• Ascending rapidly
• Johnson temporarily blinded by brightness during departure
• Vision impairment lasted several minutes
• Dog also affected

The Physical Evidence

The Glowing Ring

What was left behind:

• Circular ring on ground
• Approximately 8 feet in diameter
• Where object had hovered
• Ring glowing when first observed
• Visible to parents when shown

Soil Properties

Unusual characteristics:

• Soil within ring was dry despite recent rain
• Crusted appearance
• Light-colored compared to surrounding soil
• Water-repellent - water beaded and rolled off
• Hydrophobic property persisted for extended period

Physiological Effects

When touched:

• Mrs. Erma Johnson touched glowing soil
• Fingers went numb
• Numbness lasted for days
• Affected hand felt “dead”
• Residue difficult to wash off

Persistence

Long-term effects:

• Ring remained visible for months
• Water repellency continued
• Visible for years afterward
• Soil never returned to normal
• Physical evidence preserved

Additional Evidence

Tree Damage

Nearby effects:

• Broken branches observed
• Knocked-down Chinese elm tree
• Damage consistent with powerful force
• Not storm damage
• Localized to area near ring

Fluorescent Material

On vegetation:

• Fluorescent substance found on surrounding trees
• Glowed under black light
• Not naturally occurring
• Origin unknown
• Additional physical evidence

Photographic Documentation

Captured evidence:

• Mrs. Erma Johnson photographed ring
• Approximately 10 minutes after sighting
• Photo showed glowing effect
• Contemporary documentation
• Evidence preserved

Investigation

Law Enforcement

Official response:

• Sheriff Ralph Enlow investigated
• Undersheriff Kenneth Wilcox
• Witnessed glowing ring
• Filed reports
• Deemed witnesses credible

Ted Phillips Investigation

Physical trace specialist:

• Worked with Dr. J. Allen Hynek
• Conducted extensive on-site investigation
• Collected soil samples
• Documented all evidence
• Multiple visits to site

Laboratory Analysis

Soil testing:

• Multiple laboratories analyzed samples
• Unusual properties confirmed
• Organic compounds found
• Water-repellent coating identified
• Results published

Corroborating Evidence

Minneapolis Witness

Independent confirmation:

• Witness in Minneapolis, Kansas
• Several miles from Delphos
• Saw bright light ascend
• From direction of Delphos
• Same timeframe
• Unknown to Johnson family

Time Correlation

The match:

• Independent sighting matched departure
• Distance and direction consistent
• Two separate witnesses
• Same event observed
• Corroboration established

Recognition

National Enquirer Award

1972 recognition:

• Johnson family awarded $5,000
• “Most valuable UFO evidence”
• Blue Ribbon Panel decision
• Physical evidence key factor
• National attention

Scientific Interest

Research community response:

• Case studied extensively
• Physical evidence key
• Soil analysis ongoing for years
• Referenced in literature
• Considered exemplary case

Analysis

Why This Case Matters

The evidence quality:

• Multiple witnesses (family)
• Immediate documentation (photograph)
• Physical trace persisting years
• Laboratory analysis conducted
• Law enforcement involvement

The Hydrophobic Soil

The mystery:

• What caused water repellency?
• Natural explanations inadequate
• Something altered the soil
• At molecular level
• For extended period

The Numbness Effect

Physiological evidence:

• Mrs. Johnson’s hand went numb
• Days to recover
• Physical contact with trace
• Suggests radiation or chemical
• Medical documentation

Decades Later

Continuing Evidence

The ring today:

• Visible for years after event
• Soil properties altered permanently
• Physical trace remained
• Unlike any natural phenomenon
• Evidence persists

Ongoing Study

Research continues:

• Case still referenced
• Physical trace cases rare
• Delphos remains best-documented
• Template for investigation
• Standard of evidence

The Question

November 2, 1971. Delphos, Kansas.

Ronald Johnson is 16. He’s doing what farm kids do. Tending sheep. Evening chores. His dog at his side.

Then he sees it.

Hovering there. Seventy-five feet away. Mushroom-shaped. Nine feet across. Covered in colored lights. Pulsating. Humming like an unbalanced washing machine.

For three minutes it just hangs there. Two feet off the ground. Watching him? Doing something?

Then the sound changes. Like a jet. It rises. The light blinds him. His vision goes. When it comes back, the thing is gone.

He runs to get his parents.

They go back together. And there it is.

A ring. Eight feet across. Glowing. Right where the thing had been.

His mother touches it. Her fingers go numb. Stay numb for days.

The soil is different. Dry, though it rained recently. Crusty. Light-colored. Pour water on it - the water beads up and rolls off like it’s hitting wax.

They photograph it. Call the sheriff. Report it.

The ring stays.

For months. For years.

The water repellency persists. The soil never goes back to normal. Whatever happened that night, it changed the earth itself.

Scientists take samples. Run tests. Find organic compounds. Find something that shouldn’t be there. Can’t explain what made it.

The ring is still there.

Delphos, Kansas.

A sixteen-year-old boy sees something impossible.

And the earth remembers.

The evidence is still in the ground.

Still water-repellent.

Still unexplained.

Some things leave traces.

This one left a ring.

And the ring is still there.

Waiting for explanation.