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UFO

Win Tickets to the 2017 Aurora Alien Encounter #Texas #UFO #con

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September 16, 2017: Aurora Alien Encounter UFO Conference

Did You know a UFO crashed in Aurora, TX in 1897?  The City of Aurora and Vortexas invite you to come and celebrate the 120th anniversary of this bizarre event  on Saturday, September 16, 2017 for the second annual AURORA ALIEN ENCOUNTER! ( PLEASE NOTE: This event was originally scheduled for April 22th, 2017, but the date has been bumped ahead)

 

What is the Aurora Alien Encounter?

This exciting UFO Conference commemorates a strange event which occurred on April 17, 1897 when a UFO crashed in Aurora, a small town north of Fort Worth, Texas.  After the crash, an alien body was recovered and buried in the local cemetery! I’ve written about it several times here at TuiSnider.com, in posts such as these:

Space Alien Grave in Aurora: The Roswell of Texas?

New Headstone for Aurora, Texas UFO Crash Space Alien Grave

Sculpture of the 1897 UFO Crash in Aurora, Texas

Even after more than 100 years, this incident still stands out as one of the most extraordinary UFO cases of our time!

Come enjoy a full day of activities at Aurora’s local MD Resort such as:

  • featured speakers
  • vendors
  • food trucks
  • costume contest
  • raffle
  • cemetery shuttle tours to the alien burial site!
  • Starchild Skull
  • Man in Black after-party
  • …and more!

Buy tickets:

 Visit this link to see a full list of ticket information: Aurora Alien Encounter tickets.

Contest: Win Tickets or an Autographed Program by Spreading the Word on Social Media!

Help us spread the word about the Aurora Alien Encounter and you just may *WIN* a ticket to this exciting UFO event and/or an Autographed Program – signed by the speakers!

Enter Daily through April 17th, 2017!

For a chance to win one of 4 Adult general admission tickets follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below: [PLEASE NOTE: I will be revamping this ticket giveaway because the date of this event changed. Everyone who entered for the original drawing will also be entered in the new one. I will get that put together as soon as I can.]
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Aurora Alien Encounter Speakers:

David H. Childress: David H. Childress is a well-known author, researcher and TV personality who is known to his fans as “the real-life Indiana Jones.” A captivating speaker and the author or coauthor of over 20 books, David has traveled the world several times over, seeking adventure and the answers to the mysteries of mankind’s past. His theories about ancient civilizations being contacted by extraterrestrials have become extremely popular in the past few years, and he has appeared on countless TV shows and at numerous conferences. David has conducted research into the 1897 Aurora UFO crash and is very familiar with the case. This will be David’s first ever appearance in Wise County, and he is very excited to bring us his latest research into “Ancient Aliens.” Make plans to come and meet David and listen to his detailed research account.

Jim Marrs: Jim Marrs is the author of numerous books including Alien Agenda and Our Occulted History. Jim will be giving a presentation about the 1897 Aurora UFO crash. For more info, check out: Jim Marrs’ biography

Nick Redfern: Nick Redfern has written a slew of books, too, including Chupacabra Roadtrip and The Real Men in Black. Nick will be speaking about a variety of bizarre Texas UFO cases. For more info, check out: Nick Redfern’s official website.

Noe Torres: Noe Torres has written several books, including The Real Cowboys & Aliens: UFO Encounters of the Old West and Fallen Angel: UFO Crash Near Laredo, Texas. Noe will be talking about Del Rio, TX UFO crash of 1955. For more info, check out: Noe Torres’ biography.

Tui Snider: Tui Snider (that’s me!) is giving a presentation entitled “What on Earth were they Thinking?” which focuses on the public reaction to the numerous airship sightings of 1897 in Texas. (Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see my full bio.)

…and other special guests (TBA)!

Shuttle Tour of the Alien Grave

Travel through Aurora in a shuttle to the burial sites with the City Administrator, Dr. Toni Wheeler as your guide! Dr. Wheeler is a native of Aurora. Her Grandfather, Clyde Idell, was born in the Aurora Hotel in 1925. She is a wealth of information regarding first hand accounts of the “old timers” she visited as a child.

Aurora Alien Encounter: Vendors

You can browse through several vendors with custom goods & services. (I will add details here as I learn more about them!)

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Hey, you! Want to come along for the ride?

No matter where you live in the galaxy, Tui's books can take you on a FUN adventure!
No matter where you live in the galaxy, Tui Snider’s books can take you on a FUN adventure!

FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: For updates on my offbeat travels, books, & other fun stuff (such as postcards from the road!) subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here.   You can also mix & mingle with me by clicking this link & “liking” my Facebook Author Page:

Filed Under: Blog on Writing & Life, Blog Posts, Historic Cemeteries, Travel Photo Essays Tagged With: alien, ancient aliens, aurora alien encounter, aurora space alien, contest, david h childress, jim marrs, md resort, nick redfern, q1, Texas, texas history, tickets, Tui Snider, UFO, ufo conference, vortexas, win

New Headstone for Aurora, Texas UFO Crash Space Alien Grave

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50 Years before The Roswell Incident

The following is an adapted excerpt from Unexpected Texas, my quirky travel guide to offbeat and overlooked day trips near Dallas and Fort Worth: You’ve probably heard of the alleged spaceship crash from 1947 that took place in the desert of New Mexico. Known as “The Roswell Incident” this is arguably the most famous case in UFO history. Yet here in Texas, there exists an alleged spaceship crash – complete with an alien body – which took place 50 years earlier! So imagine how excited I was to find out that I live a hop, skip and jump from “the Roswell of Texas.”

One thing that makes this bizarre incident so fascinating is that the space alien’s body was buried by the townspeople. You can check it out for yourself by visiting the historic country graveyard in Aurora, Texas. (The city of Aurora is even erecting a Sculpture of the 1897 UFO Crash to commemorate this bizarre legend!)

Aurora, Texas historic graveyard (photo by Tui Snider)
Aurora, Texas historic graveyard (photo by Tui Snider)

Bizarre State Historical Marker

As a travel writer, I make a point to check out every State Historical Marker I come across. The one next the Aurora Cemetery gate, however, is the strangest one I’ve ever come across because it reads, in part, “This site is also well known because of the legend that a spaceship crashed nearby and the pilot, killed in the crash, was buried here.”  Check it out for yourself in the photo below:

Aurora, Texas historic graveyard with marker describing 1897 UFO crash! (photo by Tui Snider)
Aurora, Texas historic graveyard with marker describing 1897 UFO crash! (photo by Tui Snider)

Aurora, Texas UFO Crash of 1897

So what exactly happened here in Aurora, Texas back in 1897? Well, according to a newspaper article published by the Dallas News in April of 1897, a cigar-shaped object crashed in a farmer’s field, an alien body was found in the debris, and this little humanoid was buried in the local cemetery. For a more detailed account of this incident, along with a photo of the now-missing headstone, visit: 1897 UFO Crash & Alien Body – Is this the Roswell of Texas?

Me & author, Donna Latham, at the new grave marker for the 1897 UFO space alien in Aurora, Texas (photo by Larry Snider)
Me & author, Donna Latham, at the new grave marker for the 1897 UFO space alien in Aurora, Texas (photo by Larry Snider)

Space Alien’s Headstone Stolen!

When I first visited Aurora Cemetery in June of 2012, a hand-carved stone depicting a cigar-shaped craft marked the spot  where Texas settlers buried space alien’s charred body. Sadly, when I returned in March of 2013, the headstone was missing! All I found in its place was a rock the size of a baseball and some plastic flowers. Since then, a big, heavy rock accompanied by a wooden cross was placed in the graveyard to commemorate where “Ned” (as the locals have nicknamed the creature) is buried.

Oddly enough, this new marker is in a slightly different spot than the marker I first saw back in 2012. I’m not sure which spot is more accurate, however! I will have to dig back through my photos from 2012 to verify this. I will share photos here when I do!

The new grave marker for the 1897 UFO space alien in Aurora, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
The new grave marker for the 1897 UFO space alien in Aurora, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)

The Great Texas Airship Mystery of 1897

Another intriguing aspect to this strange slice of history, is that the Aurora spaceship crash is just one of hundreds – yes, HUNDREDS –  of UFO sightings reported in Texas throughout March and April of 1897. And oddly enough, these sightings didn’t slowly trickle out as you would expect. They just abruptly ended. By May of 1897, the “Great Texas Airship Sightings” were over.

I am currently writing a book about the public’s reaction to the Great Texas Airship Sightings of 1897. If you’d like to see some of the research I dug up on the subject, check out the presentation I gave last year at the Aurora Alien Encounter, the first annual UFO Expo to commemorate the 1897 UFO crash in Aurora, Texas. (My photo even made the local paper – whee!)

Here’s a link to a video of my presentation called What on Earth were They Thinking? Public Reaction to the 1897 Airship Mystery:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEH7mM16ONc

 

The new grave marker for the 1897 UFO space alien in Aurora, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
The new grave marker for the 1897 UFO space alien in Aurora, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)

Weird Tale Inspires Authors

I’m not the only one inspired by the Aurora, Texas UFO crash of 1897. Today, I met up with fellow writer, Donna Latham, and took her to Aurora Cemetery so she could see the alien gravesite for herself. Donna is an award winning author and playwright who drove up from Houston for a writing research road trip with her husband. (I love going on those with my own hubby!)

Donna came across my name while looking into the Aurora alien grave. Her play is still in its infancy but I am really excited to see what she ends up creating! For more about Donna Latham, drop by her official website:  http://www.donnalatham.com/

Details on the new grave marker for the 1897 UFO space alien in Aurora, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Details on the new grave marker for the 1897 UFO space alien in Aurora, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)

Directions to Aurora Cemetery

If you ever make it to north Texas and wish to visit the Aurora space alien grave, let me know what you see. There isn’t an official street address for Aurora Cemetery, but it’s easy to find. If you have a GPS, set it for: Cemetery Rd, Aurora, TX 76078. If not, head towards Rhome, Texas on US 81/287. Exit onto Highway 114, drive roughly 1.5 miles then turn onto Cemetery Road. The cemetery will be on your lefthand side.

FREE Cemetery Symbols Guide:

Do you enjoy exploring historic graveyards? Join my weekly newsletter for a FREE guide to historic cemetery symbolism by clicking the image below:

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Travel Photo Essays Tagged With: alien, aurora, aurora space alien, author, headstone, photographer, speaker, Texas, Tui Snider, UFO

Texas UFO Expo: Aurora Alien Encounter

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April 16, 2016: Aurora Alien Encounter!

Did You know a UFO crashed in Aurora, TX in 1897?

VORTEXAS and the City of Aurora invite you to join us on Saturday, April 16th, 2016 for the first annual AURORA ALIEN ENCOUNTER!

This exciting UFO Conference commemorates a strange event which occurred on April 17, 1897 when a UFO crashed and an ALIEN body was recovered and buried in the local cemetery. Even after more than 100 years, this incident still stands out as one of the most extraordinary UFO cases of our time!

Come enjoy a conference at Aurora’s local MD Resort with:

  • featured speakers
  • luncheon with Travis Walton
  • vendors
  • documentary
  • shuttle tours to the original crash and burial sites!
  • …and more!

April 16, 2016

 

Buy tickets:

Full list of ticket information here: Aurora Alien Encounter tickets.

*Live* Stream of Events for those who can’t attend in person!

Can’t make it to Aurora? Watch the conference online! From now through the end of March, it’s only $5 to watch the entire Aurora Alien Encounter UFO conference streaming live online.

Ticket information here: Aurora Alien Encounter tickets.

Aurora Alien Encounter Speakers:

Jim Marrs: Jim Marrs is the author of numerous books including Alien Agenda and Our Occulted History. Jim will be giving a presentation about the 1897 Aurora UFO crash. For more info, check out: Jim Marrs’ biography

Travis Walton: Travis Walton’s terrifying abduction experience in 1973 led to a book and movie entitled Fire in the Sky. For more info, check out: Travis Walton’s official website.

Nick Redfern Nick Redfern has written a slew of books, too, including Chupacabra Roadtrip and The Real Men in Black. Nick will be speaking about a variety of bizarre Texas UFO cases. For more info, check out: Nick Redfern’s official website.

Tui Snider Tui Snider – hey, that’s me! – is giving a presentation entitled “What on Earth were they Thinking?” which focuses on the public reaction to the numerous airship sightings of 1897 in Texas. (I’m having so much fun combing through newspaper archives to find examples of what people really thought of these strange events. It’s been eye-opening!)

You’re already on my official website, but here’s my current bio in case you’re new here:

Tui Snider is a travel writer, photographer, musician, and speaker who specializes in quirky, haunted, and downright bizarre destinations in Texas. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!” Snider’s best-selling books inspired by the Lone Star state include Paranormal Texas, The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber, and the 2015 North Texas Book Festival First Place Winner, Unexpected Texas. Among other projects, Tui will be the 2016 photographer/writer-in-residence for Tarleton State University’s Langdon Review. She is currently writing a book called Messages from the Dead: A Field Guide to Historic Cemetery Symbols as well as a book about the 1897 UFO crash in Aurora, Texas.

Noe Torres: Noe Torres has written several books, including The Real Cowboys & Aliens: UFO Encounters of the Old West and Fallen Angel: UFO Crash Near Laredo, Texas. Noe will be talking about Del Rio, TX UFO crash of 1955. For more info, check out: Noe Torres’ biography.

Stephen Andrasko: Stephen Andrasko will be speaking about the real “cowboys and aliens” –  UFO sightings of the Old West. I’m super excited about this event and so curious to hear what Stephen and all the others have to say during their presentations!

…and other special guests (TBA)!

Lunchtime Keynote Speaker: Travis Walton

We welcome Keynote Speaker, Travis Walton famous for “The Walton Experience: Fire in the Sky,” for a catered buffet lunch. The chefs of MD Resort are preparing wonderful selections of salad, pasta, dessert and your choice of tea or lemonade.

Shuttle Tour of the Crash Site & Alien Grave

Travel through Aurora in a shuttle to the crash & burial sites with the City Administrator, Dr. Toni Wheeler as your guide! Dr. Wheeler is a native of Aurora. Her Grandfather, Clyde Idell, was born in the Aurora Hotel in 1925. She is a wealth of information regarding first hand accounts of the “old timers” she visited as a child.

Documentary of the Aurora UFO Crash with Jim Marrs

Learn the history of Aurora’s UFO crash and alien burial in a fascinating documentary with Jim Marrs!

Aurora Alien Encounter: Vendors

You can browse through several vendors with custom goods & services, although I don’t have details about them as of this writing.

Contest: Win Tickets by Spreading the Word!

Help us spread the word about the Aurora Alien Encounter

and you just may

*WIN* a ticket to this exciting UFO event!

For a chance to win one of the following:

  • One of 3 Live Streaming Video passes (Grants access to the live streaming video of the conference speakers.)
  • One VIP Adult admission ticket (Includes: Early arrival Meet-and-Greet with Speakers, Autograph Session, General Admission, Meal Ticket (lunch), Shuttle Pass (tour) and Commemorative Souvenir.)
  • One of 2 Adult general admission tickets (This grants one adult admission to the event. Ticket prices: April 2-15, $15; At the door $20.)

Enter Daily through April 13th, 2016!

For your chance to win, simply help us spread the word about this event by following the instructions on the Rafflecopter above! (Sorry – the contest has ended.) Thank you! 

Curious about my books? I’ve got 3, so far…


To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my best-selling travel guide: 
UNEXPECTED TEXAS: Your Guide to Offbeat & Overlooked History, Day Trips & Fun Things to do near Dallas & Fort Worth
.

For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my best-selling travel guide to haunted places: 
PARANORMAL TEXAS: Your Travel Guide to Haunted Places near Dallas & Fort Worth
.

For a strange-but-true tale of Texas history, check out this bizarre piece of West Texas history: 
The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber

 


white-line-separator

Hey, you! Want to come along for the ride?

No matter where you live in the galaxy, Tui's books can take you on a FUN adventure!
No matter where you live in the galaxy, Tui Snider’s books can take you on a FUN adventure!

FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: For updates on my offbeat travels, books, & other fun stuff (such as postcards from the road!) subscribe to my newsletter using the form below. Each week, I’ll let you know the Historic Cemetery Symbol of the Week, who Teal Gray & I are interviewing on our show that night, and any other fun or interesting news. You can also mix & mingle with me by clicking this link & “liking” my Facebook Author Page:

Filed Under: Blog on Writing & Life, Historic Cemeteries, Travel Photo Essays Tagged With: alien, aurora alien encounter, aurora space alien, contest, jim marrs, ken cherry, md resort, nick redfern, q1, Stephen Andrasko, Texas, texas history, tickets, travis walton, Tui Snider, UFO, ufo conference, vortexas, win

Para Mysteries: Mortsafes & Caged Graves

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FREE Cemetery Symbols Guide:

Would you like a FREE guide to historic cemetery symbolism? If so, click the image below:

Historic Cemetery Symbol of the Week

This week’s Historic Cemetery Symbol post is about mortsafes and Resurrectionists. The topic was inspired by my friend, Teal Gray, when she told me about the mysterious Caged Graves of Catawassa.

In fact, Teal and I will be discussing everything in this post during a one-hour radio show, as you can see in the graphic below: 

Para Mysteries is a new weekly radio show. Tune in... if you dare!
Para Mysteries is a new weekly radio show. Tune in… if you dare!

 

Historic Cemeteries: Who were the Resurrectionists?

These days, people often make arrangements to donate their body to science after they pass away. We accept the fact that medical students need cadavers to learn about human anatomy. But this was not always the case.

Up until the mid-1800’s, the only way for medical students to get practice cadavers was to steal them from graveyards!

As a result, professional body snatchers, called Resurrectionists, sold stolen cadavers to anatomists, hospitals and universities.

To discourage Resurrectionists, the UK passed a law in 1752 called the Murder Act, which allowed medical researchers to use the bodies of executed criminals for educational dissection.

You’d think this would meet the demand of scientists for study cadavers, but it did not! So despite these legal concessions, Resurrectionists were still in high demand.

What are Mortsafes?

As you can imagine, no one wanted the body of their beloved family members snatched away by Resurrectionists. To combat this, elaborate metal cages, called mortsafes, were placed over graves by those who could afford them.

Such mortsafes first appeared in Scotland in the early 1800’s. Why Scotland? Because Edinburgh featured several prominent medical universities.

Mortsafes were often rented by the family from either the church or the cemetery for a certain period of time, after which the cage would be removed and used by another grieving family. Since mortsafes were not meant to be permanent structures, very few remain standing today. Medical students need fresh cadavers for their studies, so the Resurrectionists only targeted the newly buried.

After 6 weeks or so, a mortsafe could be removed from the grave. That way, the family could then tend the grass and keep the headstone clean without a heavy metal cage getting in the way.

Warburton Anatomy Act

Finally, in 1830 the UK passed the Warburton Anatomy Act. This law added even more provisions for legally obtaining medical cadavers, such as using suicide victims and unclaimed or unidentified bodies. Many of these came from prisons and workhouses, and apparently this provided enough bodies to meet the demand. This legislation effectively put an end to the need for mortsafes and the grisly practice of body snatching for medical students.

Mortsafes in the USA?

From my research so far, it does not appear that mortsafes were used much, if at all, in the USA. There certainly were Resurrectionists here, however, and people did worry about body snatching, but it does not seem to have been as big of a problem in America as it was in England and Scotland in the 1800’s.

The closest I’ve seen to American mortsafes are drawings for elaborate burglar-proof coffins and mausoleums. Some of these patented coffins use explosives to deter Resurrectionists!

Caged Graves of Catawassa

So when my friend and radio show co-host Teal Gray told me about two graves in Pennsylvania that feature elaborate metal cages on top of them, I was very curious. As I said earlier, mortsafes were not mean to be permanent structures, so it’s odd that these graves still have them.

In fact, in this particular case, some speculate that the metal cages were placed there to keep dead inside the graves rather than to keep the living out!

I can hardly wait to hear all the details Teal Gray has to share with us about this on our upcoming show! (You can tune in live or catch the replay by visiting this link: Para Mysteries with Teal Gray Worldwide Radio)

These mysterious “hooded graves,” as locals call them, have even inspired a historical novel by Dianne K. Salerno called The Caged Graves. (Looks like an interesting book!)

Tune in live or catch the replay!
Tune in live or catch the replay!

Para Mysteries Show

Teal Gray will be sharing her research into the Caged Graves of Catawassa, Pennsylvania on a brand new weekly radio show we are calling Para Mysteries. Para Mysteries is a weekly one-hour show where Teal and I will have fun sharing the strange tidbits we run into during our travel and research.

FREE Cemetery Symbols Guide:

Would you like a FREE guide to historic cemetery symbolism? If so, click the image below:

As you probably guessed, I will be discussing mortsafes and Resurrectionists on the show! To learn more about mortsafes and see photos of some of the few remaining, check out the link below:

Greyfriars Cemetery Mortsafes

Daniel Jones: Aurora Alien Encounter

Our first guest for this new Para Mysteries show is Daniel Jones of VORTEXAS. Daniel will tell us about the exciting event he organized called the Aurora Alien Encounter, a one-day expo commemorating the April 17, 1897 UFO crash in Aurora, Texas, after which an alien body was recovered and buried in the local cemetery.

Exciting Texas UFO Conference April 16, 2016
Exciting Texas UFO Conference April 16, 2016

Exciting UFO Conference in Texas

If you’re fascinated by bizarre history and/or UFOs, you won’t want to miss this conference on Saturday, April 16, 2016. It takes places at the MD Resort in Aurora, Texas and includes featured speakers, lunch, vendors, a documentary, and shuttle tours to the original crash and burial sites!

Keynote speaker: Travis Walton

The keynote speaker for the Aurora Alien Encounter is none other than Travis Walton. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, then check out the movie “Fire in the Sky.” This major motion picture was based on Travis Walton’s UFO abduction! There is also a book about the Walton’s terrifying UFO experience that is also called, Fire in the Sky.

I’m speaking, too!

I’m super thrilled and honored to be speaking at the Aurora Alien Encounter! Other speakers include Jim Marrs, who is truly an expert on the Aurora UFO incident, as well as Nick Redfern, Noe Torres, Ken Cherry and other special guests (TBA)!

Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism:

I am currently writing a field guide to historic cemetery symbolism. Each week, I share a small snippet from my upcoming book. It’s my goal to create a handy-dandy pocket guide for taphophiles, genealogists, ghost hunters, and anyone else interested in the historic graveyard symbols that have become forgotten over the years.

Which symbols are you curious about?

Let me know in the comments if there is a certain cemetery symbol that you are curious about. Also, if you would like to know when the cemetery symbolism guide is available for purchase, scroll down and sign up for my newsletter! I look forward to hearing from you!

Want to read more like this?


To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my best-selling travel guide:
UNEXPECTED TEXAS: Your Guide to Offbeat & Overlooked History, Day Trips & Fun Things to do near Dallas & Fort Worth
.

For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my best-selling travel guide to haunted places:
PARANORMAL TEXAS: Your Travel Guide to Haunted Places near Dallas & Fort Worth
.

For a strange-but-true tale of Texas history, check out this bizarre piece of West Texas history:
The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber

 


white-line-separator

Hey, you! Want to come along for the ride?

No matter where you live in the galaxy, Tui's books can take you on a FUN adventure!
No matter where you live in the galaxy, Tui Snider’s books can take you on a FUN adventure!

FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: For updates on my offbeat travels, books, & other fun stuff (such as postcards from the road!) subscribe to my newsletter using the form below. Each week, I’ll let you know the Historic Cemetery Symbol of the Week, who Teal Gray & I are interviewing on our show that night, and any other fun or interesting news. You can also mix & mingle with me by clicking this link & “liking” my Facebook Author Page:

Filed Under: Blog on Writing & Life, Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Haunted Travel, Historic Cemeteries, Teal Gray Worldwide Radio, Travel Photo Essays Tagged With: author, cemetery, cemetery symbols, fire in the sky, graveyard, graveyard symbols, historic, historic cemetery symbols, jim marrs, nick redfern, q1, speaker, symbols, travis walton, Tui Snider, Tui Snider photographer, UFO

Photo Essay: UFO Themed Town of Roswell, New Mexico

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OK, so it was actually more of a roadtrip through Roswell than a roadtrip to Roswell, New Mexico, but I am glad we stopped by because I made two startling discoveries:

  1. The singer John Denver hails from Roswell, New Mexico. (Gasp! Perhaps his ultralight aircraft was reverse engineered?)
  2. New Mexican style Mexican food is quite different than the Tex Mex we get here in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex.

I didn’t spot any UFOS in the sky, but shop windows and signs featured aliens galore:

Wal-Mart in Roswell, New Mexico (photo by Tui Snider)
Wal-Mart in Roswell, New Mexico (photo by Tui Snider)

For those who don’t know, Roswell’s main claim to fame is that in 1947 a flying saucer allegedly crashed nearby. Newscasts reported that locals were involved in retrieving debris from the mangled spaceship and in conducting an autopsy on a dead alien. The United States Air Force quickly recanted these claims, however, stating that it was actually remnants of a weather balloon and nothing more.

Even so, books, movies, TV shows, and a slew of deathbed confessions by people claiming to have been hushed by the US government keep this local legend alive. One could say that the Roswell Incident is the original X File. (Then again, here in Texas we have the famous Aurora Space Crash & Alien Grave, which pre-dates Roswell by a full 50 years!)

Nowadays, the little town of Roswell, New Mexico remains synonymous with the concept of space aliens and government cover-ups, so I was curious to swing by and see how this manifested in the local culture.

As we cruised down Roswell’s main drag, one thing became quite clear: the locals were having fun with the whole UFO thing. As you can see from the photos I snapped as we whizzed by, the KFC, Wal-Mart, and even the local credit union all have an alien theme. (The local IHOP missed their chance to rebrand as the Intergalactic House of Pancakes, but every crowd has a stick in the mud.)

When it comes to alien-themed buildings, one of the McDonald’s in Roswell went all out. Check out my post, UFO Shaped McDonald’s in Roswell, New Mexico to see photos and get the address.

Alien autopsy in Roswell, New Mexico (photo by Tui Snider)
Alien autopsy in Roswell, New Mexico (photo by Tui Snider)

The main concentration of alien-oriented shops and sights is in the older section of town where people have set up UFO themed shops near the Roswell UFO Museum. While the museum is quite interesting, and seems well-researched, it’s obvious that the displays are the result of a labor of love more than an abundance of cash.

In fact, what I find endearing about Roswell is the grassroots way in which alien lore permeates the town. Sure, there are tons of T-shirts, pencils, coffee mugs and other souvenirs for sale, but there is nothing slick about it. Even the window displays depicting poker playing grays and alien autopsies have a decidedly homegrown feel.

Roswell, New Mexico (photo by Tui Snider)
Roswell, New Mexico (photo by Tui Snider)

Nothing anomalous happened during our visit, although on the way out of town we stopped by a restaurant called Tia Juana’s (which is what led to startling discovery number two.)

We chose Tia Juana’s because it looked family-run and the parking lot was full. It was a good choice. For starters, the place serves homemade tortilla chips, sopapillas, and tortillas. Everything we had was spicy, yet full-flavored. I would dine there again in a flash. In fact, if I lived nearby, I would surely have many instances of missing time attributed to long lunches there.

We left Roswell with full bellies and satisfied taste buds. And even though the long stretches of highway made me daydream about whether or not our planet has ever been visited by extraterrestrials, one thing is for certain: the food at Tia Juana’s in Roswell, New Mexico is out of this world.

Typical window display in Roswell, New Mexico (photo by Tui Snider)
Typical window display in Roswell, New Mexico (photo by Tui Snider)

To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my Amazon Best Seller, Unexpected Texas.

For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my recently-released travel guide to haunted places, Paranormal Texas. Happy travels!

Filed Under: Travel Photo Essays Tagged With: flying saucer, New Mexico, paranormal, Quirky Travel, Roswell, space alien, UFO

1897 UFO Crash & Alien Body – Is this the Roswell of Texas?

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Did a UFO Crash in Texas in 1897?

The following is an adapted excerpt from Unexpected Texas – my best-selling travel guide to quirky, offbeat and overlooked places near Dallas and Fort Worth. Check it out if you enjoy learning quirky facts, or are looking for offbeat road trip ideas in north Texas.

Aurora Texas UFO grave photo by Tui Snider
Aurora Texas UFO grave photo by Tui Snider

Back in 2012, I learned of a strange incident that allegedly occurred in Aurora, Texas. According to a newspaper article published by the Dallas News in April of 1897, a cigar-shaped object crashed in a farmer’s field, an alien body was found in the debris, and this little humanoid was buried in the local cemetery.

There’s even a Texas State Historical Marker at the site describing the strange event!

To see a 5-minute video I created about this incident, visit my YouTube channel below:

Texas Space Alien Headstone Missing

When I first visited Aurora Cemetery in June of 2012, it was easy to find where the Texas settlers buried the body of the alleged space alien, as you can see in the photo at the top of this post.

When I returned in March of 2013, however, the headstone was missing! All I found in its place was a rock the size of a baseball and some plastic flowers, as you can see in the photo above.

Weird, eh?

But wait…there’s more:

The alien's headstone was stolen in 2013! (photo by Tui Snider)
The alien’s headstone was stolen in 2013! (photo by Tui Snider)

This UFO Crash Pre-dates the Roswell Incident

You’ve probably heard of, The Roswell Incident, an alleged spaceship crash in the desert of New Mexico in 1947. (Speaking of Roswell, New Mexico, I recently posted about the spaceship-shaped fast food restaurant there in UFO Shapted McDonald’s in Roswell, New Mexico.)

The Roswell incident is arguably the most well-known case in UFO history, yet here in Texas, there exists an alleged spaceship crash – complete with an alien body – which took place 50 years earlier! I was pretty excited to find out that I live a hop, skip and jump from Roswell’s Texan equivalent.

Aurora Cemetery is a beautiful historic graveyard (photo by Tui Snider)
Aurora Cemetery is a beautiful historic graveyard (photo by Tui Snider)

A spaceship crash with an alien body in north Texas?

As the story goes, in the early morning hours of April 17, 1897 something crash-landed in the north Texas town of Aurora. According to a newspaper article which appeared in the April 19th edition of the Dallas News, a mysterious cigar-shaped airship ran into a windmill, spread debris across several acres and – strangest of all – a small humanoid body was discovered in the wreck. According to the reporter, although the petite alien was, “not an inhabitant of this world,” his or her body was later buried at the local cemetery.

The Dallas News Article about the Mysterious Airship Crash in Aurora, Texas

Here’s a link to a scan of the original article, and here’s what the reporter claims:
“About 6 o’clock this morning the early risers of Aurora were astonished at the sudden appearance of the airship which has been sailing around the country. It was traveling due north and much nearer the earth than before.

Evidently some of the machinery was out-of-order, for it was making a speed of only ten or twelve miles an hour, and gradually settling toward the earth. It sailed over the public square and when it reached the north part of town it collided with the tower of Judge Proctor’s windmill and went into pieces with a terrific explosion, scattering debris over several acres of ground, wrecking the windmill and water tank and destroying the judge’s flower garden.

The pilot of the ship is supposed to have been the only one aboard and, while his remains were badly disfigured, enough of the original has been picked up to show that he was not an inhabitant of this world.”

Aurora Cemetery gate (photo Tui Snider)
Aurora Cemetery gate (photo Tui Snider)

What happened after the Spaceship Crash in Aurora Texas?

These days, with over 1800 graves, the Aurora Cemetery claims more inhabitants than the little town itself, with its current population of 376. In the late 1800’s, however, Aurora was poised to make it big. Its population boomed to nearly 3000 residents, making it one of the largest cities in Wise County. Sadly, a spotted fever epidemic killed hundreds of residents, the cotton crop failed and the railroad decided to pass the town by.

Given the mindset of the era and the challenges they faced, it’s not surprising that instead of studying the alien’s body for science, the town buried the creature and moved on with their lives.

No reportage exists regarding the actual funeral ceremony, although a headstone was placed at the gravesite. According to photos and verbal accounts, this headstone depicted a crudely carved cigar-shaped object with portholes in the side.

As for the townsfolk of Aurora, they had enough going on with epidemics, crop failure and being slighted by the railroad to worry about the mysterious alien’s origins.

Can you blame them?

Renewed Interest in the Aurora Texas Spaceship Crash

The entire incident faded into the background as the once-booming town of Aurora withered into near oblivion. Then, in 1973, a United Press International blurb mentioned that incident.

I find this part of the story quite strange, personally. Why did the story suddenly resurface?

Why 1973? (UPDATE: Check out my recent interview on Coast to Coast AM radio to find out more details about what transpired in Aurora in 1973!)

I have no idea! Whatever the reason, this little article created so much interest in the old story that local police guarded the alien grave day and night. Sadly, the night they quit this vigil, someone stole the original headstone for the space creature. There was even a push to exhume the alien’s body, but the cemetery association declined.

I should add that the original tombstone was stolen in 1973. The grave marker that I saw back in June of 2012, which you see a photo of here, was added sometime in the the 2000’s, and stolen in 2013.

What Aurora, Texas alien crash site debunkers say

Many people believe the Aurora alien spaceship crash to be a complete hoax.
Their main complaints with the scenario are:

1. There was no windmill on Judge Proctor’s land.

2. There is no well.

3. There is no grave.

4. There is no mysterious metal near the crash site.

5. The reporter made the story up hoping to make the town a tourist attraction.

Pennies on the alien grave in Aurora, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)
Pennies on the alien grave in Aurora, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)

What Aurora, Texas alien crash site believers say

1. The History Channel found evidence of a windmill (actually a “windlass” that was mis-reported as a windmill) on Judge Proctor’s land.

2. They found a well at this site, too. The well was capped in the 1950’s because the owner thought it was contaminated by the alien debris. the History Channel convinced the current owner to let them uncap it and test the water.

3. Melted metal has been found in the alleged crash site area. This metal is not some unearthly element. It’s aluminum. While aluminum seems commonplace to us now, it was actually quite rare in the late 1800’s.

4. The History Channel also found, via ground-penetrating radar, a casket-shaped item in the exact spot where the alien is allegedly buried.

5. The Roswell crash debris was taken to Fort Worth, which is quite near Aurora.

6. The town of Aurora is set up like a military base. (I’m not sure what people mean by this, but I did notice a street called, “Base,” or something like that. I will have to look into this claim more.)

Visiting Aurora Cemetery:

There isn’t an official street address for Aurora Cemetery, but it’s not hard to find. If you have a GPS, set it for: Cemetery Rd, Aurora, TX 76078. If not, head towards Rhome, Texas on US 81/287. Exit onto Highway 114, drive roughly 1.5 miles then turn onto Cemetery Road. The cemetery will be on your lefthand side.

My thoughts on the Aurora, Texas Alien crash site

While I don’t think there is conclusive proof that an alien being crashed a UFO in north Texas, I do think something unusual happened in Aurora back in April of 1897.

Sadly, it is such a cold case that we may never know the truth.

I wish the Aurora Cemetery would let a respected investigation group exhume the alien’s coffin and see what is in there. The cemetery board very nearly dug up the mysterious grave back in 1973, but since Texas State law requires the next of kin to be notified before an exhumation, they ran into a brick wall.

Other Cigar Shaped UFOs Reported in 1896 and 1897

While researching this strange story, I came across a rash of, “mysterious cigar-shaped airship” sightings in 1896 and 1897. These UFOs were spotted all over the USA, but especially in Texas. Some of the accounts are downright ridiculous. (In one, the aliens reportedly sang religious hymns and had a barbecue.) Many others, however, are much more believable.

Perhaps what makes the Aurora incident so enduring is that – even if it is just a tall Texan tale – its details dance along the edge of possibility without plunging overboard into the utterly implausible. While frustrating from a scientific perspective, it’s good advice for storytellers.

Then again, to paraphrase Freud, “Sometimes a cigar-shaped object is just a cigar-shaped object.”

Learn more at my Historic Cemetery Podcast & Facebook Page:

Do you have questions about symbols you’ve seen on headstones? Drop by Exploring Historic Cemeteries on Facebook and let me know! And tune in to my 30-minute historic cemetery podcast on the first Tuesday of each month: Tombstone Tuesday with Tui Snider.

READ MY BOOK: If you enjoy historic cemeteries and want to learn more, check out my book: Understanding Cemetery Symbols. It’s available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form.

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Filed Under: Blog Posts, Cemeteries & Symbolism, Travel Photo Essays Tagged With: alien, aurora, author, extraterrestrial, grave, paranormal, Quirky Travel, Texas, texas travel, Tui Snider, UFO

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