The Van Meter Visitor

In late September and early October 1903, the small town of Van Meter, Iowa, experienced one of the strangest encounters in American history. Over five nights, multiple respected citizens - including businessmen, doctors, and bankers - reported sightings of a large winged creature with extraordinary characteristics. The being appeared to emit light from a horn on its head and proved impervious to gunfire.

The Sightings

Night One - September 29, 1903

The first witness:

• U.G. Griffith, local businessman
• Spotted creature on Main Street
• Large winged being
• Emitting bright light from horn on head
• Creature flew away when approached

Night Two - September 30, 1903

Multiple witnesses:

• Dr. A.C. Olcott, town physician
• Creature appeared on rooftop
• Fired at creature five times
• Bullets had no effect
• Being flew away unharmed
• Terrible stench reported

Night Three - October 1, 1903

Bank incident:

• Clarence Dunn, bank cashier
• Creature appeared at bank window
• Light from horn blinded witness
• Peter Dunn also witnessed
• Creature fled toward coal mine

Night Four - October 2, 1903

Armed response:

• Multiple townspeople gathered
• Creature spotted again
• More shots fired
• No apparent damage to creature
• Tracked toward abandoned mine

Night Five - October 3, 1903

The final encounter:

• Armed posse formed
• Two creatures emerged from mine
• One larger, one smaller
• Both had bat-like wings
• Horn emitting bright light
• Creatures descended back into mine
• Never seen again

Physical Description

The Creature

Witnesses described:

• Large body, approximately 8 feet tall
• Huge bat-like wings
• Horn or antenna on forehead
• Bright light emanated from horn
• Three-toed feet (claw prints found)
• Dark coloring
• Moved in hopping motion when grounded
• Capable of flight

Unusual Characteristics

The being exhibited:

• Imperviousness to gunfire
• Ability to emit blinding light
• Terrible odor
• No apparent fear of humans
• Underground dwelling

The Witnesses

Credible Observers

Those who reported sightings included:

• U.G. Griffith - implement dealer
• Dr. A.C. Olcott - physician
• Clarence Dunn - bank cashier
• Peter Dunn - hardware store owner
• O.V. White - bank cashier
• Sidney Gregg - businessman
• J.L. Platt Jr. - local businessman

Community Response

The town’s reaction:

• Initial skepticism
• Multiple independent confirmations
• Armed posses formed
• Serious concern developed
• Story covered in local newspapers

The Investigation

Evidence Found

Physical traces included:

• Three-toed footprints
• Prints found on buildings
• Tracks leading to mine
• Multiple witnesses corroborating details
• Consistent descriptions across sightings

The Coal Mine

The creature’s apparent origin:

• Abandoned mine shaft
• Located outside town
• Two creatures emerged final night
• Descended back into depths
• Mine never fully explored
• Entrance eventually sealed

Theories and Explanations

Conventional Explanations

Skeptics have suggested:

• Hoax by townspeople
• Misidentified large bird
• Mass hysteria
• Newspaper exaggeration
• Escaped exotic animal

Unconventional Theories

Researchers have proposed:

• Unknown cryptid species
• Subterranean creature
• Interdimensional being
• Early UAP-related entity
• Prehistoric survivor

The Light Element

The luminous horn suggests:

• Bioluminescence capability
• Unknown technology
• UAP connection
• Not typical of known animals
• Consistent with other anomalous reports

Historical Context

1903 America

The setting:

• Small Iowa farming community
• Population approximately 1,000
• Respectable, religious community
• No history of strange claims
• Wright Brothers’ first flight same year

The Witnesses’ Stakes

These were men with reputations:

• Business owners
• Professionals
• Pillars of community
• Nothing to gain from hoax
• Much to lose from ridicule

The Legacy

Forgotten Then Rediscovered

The case history:

• Reported in local papers 1903
• Largely forgotten for decades
• Rediscovered by researchers
• Book published in 2013
• Festival now held annually

Van Meter Today

The town embraces its history:

• Annual “Van Meter Visitor” festival
• Local pride in strange heritage
• Creature merchandise available
• Historic markers placed
• Tourism attraction

The Mystery

In early October 1903, something emerged from an abandoned coal mine in Iowa.

Something with wings like a bat.

Something with a horn that emitted blinding light.

Something that bullets couldn’t stop.

The witnesses weren’t drunks or attention-seekers. They were the town doctor. The banker. Business owners. Men who had everything to lose by making up stories.

They saw something.

They shot at it.

It didn’t die.

And then it went back underground.

Two creatures. Possibly more. Living beneath Van Meter in the old mine.

What were they?

Not birds - birds don’t emit light from horns.

Not bats - bats don’t survive gunfire.

Not any animal known to science.

Something else.

The Van Meter Visitor remains one of the strangest encounters in American history. A creature - or creatures - that defied explanation, terrorized a town for five nights, and then vanished into the earth.

The mine was eventually sealed.

But no one ever went down to check if the creatures were still there.

Maybe they’re still waiting.

In the darkness.

Under Van Meter.