This September, the Archives hosted our annual Archives Bazaar. This year's theme is “The Bizarre Bazaar,” and we asked local libraries, archives, historical societies, and museums to come together to showcase the strange, creepy, and downright fascinating treasures hidden in their collections. From oddball artifacts to peculiar pieces of history, this unique event invites the curious and the brave to explore the weird side of our local institutions.
Keeping with the bizarre theme and following up on previous work the Archives has produced about UFOs, here are a handful of stories from past issues of the Champaign-Urbana Courier in which the local community saw what they thought were unexplainable phenomena flying through central Illinois skies.
"Disc Discussion Deepens," Champaign-Urbana Courier, July 6, 1947
In the summer of 1947, a handful of reports were made across the country where concerned citizens reported UFO sightings. According to an Associated Press article published on July 6, 1947 in the Champaign-Urbana Courier, “flying saucers” were reported seen in 31 states by hundreds of individuals. Many scientists from different
'Flying Saucer' Found on Farm, Champaign-Urbana Courier, July 15, 1947
parts of the country offered various explanations for these sightings that summer. However, Louis E. Starr, national commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars still believed too little is being told to the people of this country” about the unexplained flying objects.
A week and a half later on July 15, 1947, a “flying saucer” was found on a Watseka, Illinois farm, adding to the mystery that summer.
“Local ‘Thing’ Was Balloon—Probably,” Champaign-Urbana Courier, August 9, 1951
During August of 1951, an object appeared in the air over Champaign-Urbana one evening. Despite some residents thinking it was “The Thing” itself, or at least a flying saucer, others believed “it” was a weather observation balloon.
"Air Force Admits 'Flying Saucer' Seen Here Was Weather Balloon," Champaign-Urbana Courier, August 21, 1951
Later that month, Air Force officials confirmed that what was seen earlier in the month was in fact a balloon carrying temperature, pressure, and cosmic ray equipment.
"The THING is Back," Champaign-Urbana Courier, July 13, 1952
One July evening in 1952, a “great white ‘What-Is-It’ zoomed over central Illinois” at speeds believed to exceed 2,000 miles per hour. An airline pilot reported the sighting just north of Gilman as he was coming in for a landing at the U of I Airport. One U of I Professor made the speed calculations after claiming the object made the distance from Philo to west Champaign in only 15 seconds. At the hour of the reported sighting, no jet aircraft were reported to be in the sky at nearby Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul. Some believed the object to be a meteor, while others disagreed with that notion.
"Local Flying Saucers Only Reflected Light: Chanute," Champaign-Urbana Courier, July 29, 1952
"Saucer Menace Doubted," Champaign Urbana Courier, July 30, 1952
Additional sightings were made later that month, locally and in other parts of the country. Chanute officials believed local sightings were nothing more than light reflections on clouds. Federal government officials offered natural explanations for the phenomena. Despite these contentions from local and federal officials, some UFO observers still believed what they saw was different from explanations that had been offered.
Want more stories of UFO sightings in the Champaign County area? Search through our catalog or stop-in the Archives sometime to see materials we have available!
Want to discover more of the bizarre and weird? Join us at “The Bizarre Bazaar” from 1-4 pm on Saturday, September 20.
-Pat Cain, Archives Manager