Upper Missouri River / Great Falls area (1865 UFO crash site)
Photo: Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Naval Photographic Center, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Upper Missouri River near Great Falls, Montana, represents one of the earliest documented UFO crash accounts in American history, stemming from an 1865 Missouri Democrat newspaper report. The rugged terrain along this stretch of the Missouri River features dramatic limestone bluffs rising approximately 200 feet above the water, with the Great Falls themselves creating a series of five waterfalls spanning roughly 10 miles. This remote wilderness area, largely unchanged since the 19th century, encompasses the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Nation. The specific crash site location remains unidentified, as the original newspaper account provided only general geographic references to the upper Missouri River region. Ancient astronaut theorists point to an 1865 Missouri Democrat account of a fur trapper discovering a hollow, stone object with interior chambers and markings in a mountainside—which some connect to Blackfoot oral traditions of sky beings and aerial vehicles—as potential evidence of extraterrestrial contact in the American West. Mainstream historians attribute the newspaper report to 19th-century frontier sensationalism and the misidentification of natural geological formations or meteorite fragments, which were commonly mistaken for anomalous objects during this period of rapid westward expansion and limited scientific communication. The original account remains difficult to verify, as no physical artifact from the incident has been recovered or scientifically examined.
Timeline
Blackfoot peoples establish settlements along the Missouri River, developing oral traditions of sky beings
Lewis and Clark expedition documents the Great Falls area during westward exploration
Missouri Democrat publishes account of alleged UFO crash witnessed by fur trapper
Ancient Aliens researchers begin investigating the 1865 account as early American UFO evidence
What the Show Claims
- ›1865 Missouri Democrat report describes fur trapper finding hollow stone with hieroglyphic markings after witnessing sky object crashS03E01
- ›Blackfoot legends of sky beings descending in aerial vehicles correlate with the 1865 incident locationS03E01
- ›The account represents one of the earliest documented UFO crashes in American history, predating Roswell by over 80 yearsS03E01
From the Transcripts
“In 1865, the Missouri Democrat reported that a trapper saw a light traveling through the sky at night. It flew over his camp, broke apart and crashed in the forest some miles away. The next day he tracked it down, found a large stone imbedded in the side of a mountain.”
What Archaeology Says
No formal archaeological investigation has been conducted at the alleged 1865 crash site, primarily because the original Missouri Democrat report provided insufficient geographic detail to pinpoint an exact location along the extensive upper Missouri River system. The newspaper account described a fur trapper discovering a hollow, cracked stone with interior chambers and mysterious markings embedded in a mountainside, but modern researchers have been unable to locate physical evidence of such an object.
Historians examining the 1865 report note that frontier-era newspapers frequently published sensationalized stories to attract readers, and the Missouri Democrat was known for including both legitimate news and entertainment pieces. The account appeared during a period when meteorite falls were poorly understood by the general public, and natural phenomena often received supernatural explanations in popular press coverage.
Geological surveys of the Great Falls region have identified numerous limestone caves and natural rock formations that could potentially match aspects of the original description, but without the specific stone object mentioned in the 1865 report. The Blackfoot oral traditions referenced by ancient astronaut theorists have been documented by anthropologists, though mainstream interpretation views these stories as spiritual metaphors rather than literal historical accounts.
The lack of physical evidence and the sensationalistic nature of 19th-century frontier journalism makes scientific verification of the 1865 account extremely challenging. However, the report remains significant as an early example of unexplained aerial phenomena in American newspaper coverage, contributing to the historical documentation of UFO-related claims in the pre-industrial United States.
Mysteries & Fun Facts
The 1865 Missouri Democrat report predates the famous Roswell incident by 82 years
Lewis and Clark's expedition documented the Great Falls region 60 years before the alleged UFO crash
The Missouri River system near Great Falls features some of the most dramatic geological formations in Montana
Blackfoot oral traditions include numerous references to beings descending from the sky in the Missouri River region
Planning a Visit
The Great Falls area is accessible via Highway 87 north of Great Falls, Montana, with several overlooks providing views of the historic Missouri River corridor. The general region can be explored through various public access points, though the specific alleged crash site location remains unidentified. Visitors should check with local tourism offices for current trail conditions and access information.
Great Falls, Montana, approximately 15-20 miles from the general incident area.
Late spring through early fall offers the most comfortable weather conditions for exploring the Missouri River region. Summer months provide the clearest views and most accessible hiking conditions.
Related Sites
Tunguska explosion site
Another early unexplained aerial explosion event that predates modern UFO reports
37th Parallel (Global UFO Superhighway)
Investigates patterns of UFO sightings across specific geographic latitudes in the American West
White Sands Proving Ground
Military testing facility associated with early rocket and aircraft development in UFO research