Oregon is a place that welcomes the weird — and that includes oddities of the extraterrestrial variety, too. So in 1950, when a UFO was reported hovering over a farm in McMinnville, Oregon, the sighting caused quite a stir. Not only did folks believe the story to be true, but it instantly became one of the state’s most infamous legends. But is it a fable — or is this otherworldly encounter fact? Ask anyone and they’ll agree: the McMinnville UFO Sighting is, hands down, the most iconic, celebrated, and, yes, chilling, urban legends in Oregon.
McMinnville is a small town located in the heart of Oregon’s idyllic Willamette Valley.
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It’s a small town that’s known for its agriculture; the farms of McMinnville flush with the bounty of the Beaver State.
M.O. Stevens/Wikipedia
It’s a sleepy little town that’s generally quite quiet… or it was, until 1950.
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On May 11, 1950, local resident Evelyn Trent was feeding the animals behind her farmhouse when she spotted a disc-like object floating high in the evening sky above.
Paul Trent/Wikipedia
She scrambled inside her farmhouse to alert her husband, Paul, who had the foresight to grab their Kodak Roamer camera. Once outside, Paul quickly snapped a pair of pictures before the unidentified flying object floated back over the horizon.
PABresler/Wikipedia
What happened next is something we’re all quite familiar with today: the images essentially went viral, causing quite a stir in this small town.
Paul Trent/Wikipedia
In fact, Paul’s photos are considered sacred texts in the field of “ufology.” They ignited a bona fide media frenzy, and were seen all around the world.
McMenamins Pubs, Breweries & Historic Hotels/Facebook
Back in Oregon, the so-called “McMinnville UFO” earned this small town a unique notoriety, something that’s been embraced and celebrated in the nearly 75 years since.
Bruce Fingerhood/Flickr
In 1999, the town organized its first UFO Fest, an extraterrestrial event that’s second in popularity only to the UFO fest in Roswell, New Mexico. Oregon’s McMenamins UFO Fest is three days full of parades, costume contests, guest speakers, and good, old-fashioned (supernatural) fun.
McMenamins Pubs, Breweries & Historic Hotels/Facebook
The event attracts thousands each year, who come to revel in the weirdness and wonder of this odd historic happening.
McMenamins Pubs, Breweries & Historic Hotels/Facebook
And as for the McMinnville UFO, well, a number of experts weighed in. Some called it an elaborate hoax; some said it was an object suspended from a telephone wire; and one explained that the object may have simply been the detached side-view mirror of a vehicle, like certain Ford models from the era.
CZmarlin/Wikimedia Commons At this point, though, does it really matter? The McMinnville UFO sighting is a legendary piece of Oregon lore; it’s one of the many things that give our state its wonderfully weird rap!
Did you know the story behind the McMinnville UFO sighting in Oregon? What do you believe? Regardless of where you stand, you have to admit it’s an incredible story. And the annual McMenamins UFO Festival — how cool!
nik wheeler/Corbis Documentary Collection via Getty Images
M.O. Stevens/Wikipedia
Daniel Hurst Photography/Moment Collection via Getty Images
Paul Trent/Wikipedia
PABresler/Wikipedia
McMenamins Pubs, Breweries & Historic Hotels/Facebook
Bruce Fingerhood/Flickr
CZmarlin/Wikimedia Commons
At this point, though, does it really matter? The McMinnville UFO sighting is a legendary piece of Oregon lore; it’s one of the many things that give our state its wonderfully weird rap!
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Address: McMinnville, OR 97128, USA
