Looking For Answers

I originally joined ATS because I was seeking answers to an event that happened in the 1970's. A lurker before I joined, I came to realize that perhaps ATS was the best place to pose my questions since there seems to be so many great UFO masters on the boards that might be able to help me with the answers I'm seeking, however it has taken me this long to get the courage up to post about the event simply because it did not happen to me personally (it happened to my grandfather who is now deceased) and I don't have any photos of the event because it was so long ago that digital cameras and videocams were not yet invented.

It is my hope that somone will remember this happening or may know of what I speak and can assist me in further research.

At the time of this event, my grandparents lived on an apple orchard in a small town called Barry, Illinois. In fact, my grandfather lived in the area all of his life. I want to say this UFO sighting happened in 1972 or 1973. I have read about other UFO sightings in the area in 1970 in a small town close to Barry called Pearl, Illinois, however I don't believe this is the same time, due to my age at the time of the event and 1970 would be too early.

As I remember, my grandmother called my father one afternoon and told him that my grandfather wasn't doing so well. She told my dad that my grandfather had gone out as usual to the orchard to begin his workday at the crack of dawn, when he returned about 20 minutes later "white as a sheet." She asked my grandfather what had happened and he told her he had seen a UFO on the ground in the orchard. She told my dad that she wanted to call the Sheriff, but my grandfather wouldn't let her do it because he thought people would think he was "crazy." My grandmother wanted my dad to drive down (a 3 hour trip) to talk to my grandfather about what had happened because he was very upset and quite shaken by the entire episode.

I remember my dad not saying much about it before he left and I'm sure it was because he didn't know the full details of the sighting and also because he didn't want to alarm my brother and I. When he returned, he didn't say much about it at all to my brother and I, but when I got older, the full details were told to me by my dad and my grandmother.

My grandfather reported that it was a UFO he saw, circular in shape with lights that seemed to be pulsating. The UFO was on the ground in the orchard. My grandfather said at first look, he thought he was seeing headlights of a car, but as he got closer and changed his direction, it was unmistakably a UFO. To my knowledge, he didn't report seeing any aliens, any aliens saw him or that there was any contact made.

My grandfather wasn't a drinker and was a solid member of the community, therefore his reputation and the reputation of his family was very important to him, which is why he never went to the authorities. A hard worker who rarely missed a days' work, he refused to go back into the orchard for 3 days and told everyone he had the flu.

My dad took a stroll into the orchard with my grandmother after my dad arrived and my dad reported seeing the ground was charred, but nothing else.

I am a librarian and I have been chasing the tail of this story for a long time, but I've never come up with any leads or any further information. I have searched google, various other sites and first hand accounts of sightings, to no avail.

I realize finding someone on these boards who may have seen something in the early morning hours in the Spring of 1972 or 1973 in Illinois is wishful thinking, but it's worth a try.

Thank you for reading this and if anyone knows of any other websites where I may find possible information, please leave a link.

Thanks so much.

I think it's very brave to post your story.......can imagine the reaction your grandfather had. I think most people have experiences that they cannot understand, seeing things, feeling things and don't talk about it.
I hope you find your answers here on ATS, there are some "experts"here .
I cannot because I'm one of the so calles readers herre.....I visit and read threads I think might be interesting and sometimes give my opinion.....
Good luck!!!

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

I don't think many people realize what kind of shock that is to the human psyche.

Tanks for bringing this to our attention and I hope there is someone ere that can help you find the answers you are looking for.

I have a few questions.

Does your family still own the orchard?
and if so, has this ever happened again?

if the orchard is still in the family perhaps a trip to the place might help. Look around the spot where the UFO was supposed to have landed take a few pictures. Is the land in that spot where it was charred still grow properly? is there still any visible evidence?

sorry for all the questions, im just a curious kind of guy.

Thanks for all of your replies - I really do appreciate your comments and feedback.

How about taking a trip down to the area and talk to some of the locals. There must be a fair few who still live there 30+ years later. If there are too many doors to knock, how about printing up some simple black and white flyers containing the story and an appeal for information if anyone has any...? That's what I would probably do.
If anyone else saw it, maybe someone did make a report. maybe that report would now be available under the freedom of information act ? You could see if you could get anywhere by requesting any documents related to the time period in question.
Good luck with your search!

Originally posted by QBSneak000
Tanks for bringing this to our attention and I hope there is someone ere that can help you find the answers you are looking for.

I have a few questions.

Does your family still own the orchard?
and if so, has this ever happened again?

if the orchard is still in the family perhaps a trip to the place might help. Look around the spot where the UFO was supposed to have landed take a few pictures. Is the land in that spot where it was charred still grow properly? is there still any visible evidence?

sorry for all the questions, im just a curious kind of guy.

No apologies necessary - questions may help jog my memory.

The orchard was sold and the land was razed by new owners years ago. The last time I was there was in 2000 and everything was gone.

As far as I know, another sighting has never happened in that particular town (at least I haven't been able to find anything), although there have been other reported sightings prior to this event in other rural towns in the area, however they were a few years prior to this particular event.

Since the orchard sat on a lot of acreage and it was so long ago, I can't recall where the precise location within the orchard would have been. I also can't recall ever venturing too far out to find it and as I got into my late teens, I know I never trekked too far out even then...it's quite possible that I was just too afraid to do so.

Thanks for asking!

Thats too bad its all gone.

My mother had a similar experience in Newfoundland a long time ago. They had an orchard and one day she went for a walk in it, decided to sit down by a tree but then got really tired and fell asleep. The family got worried after a couple of hours of her not returning and decided to go look for her. It was only about 4 acres square but they couldn't find her anywhere. From what she told me, she woke up and strolled back to the house and was surprised to find that over 8 hours had passed.

I was also told that strange lights have been seen in the orchard at night from time to time. They called them ghost lights back then but.....

Maybe aliens really like fruit.

Originally posted by QBSneak000
Thats too bad its all gone.

My mother had a similar experience in Newfoundland a long time ago. They had an orchard and one day she went for a walk in it, decided to sit down by a tree but then got really tired and fell asleep. The family got worried after a couple of hours of her not returning and decided to go look for her. It was only about 4 acres square but they couldn't find her anywhere. From what she told me, she woke up and strolled back to the house and was surprised to find that over 8 hours had passed.

I was also told that strange lights have been seen in the orchard at night from time to time. They called them ghost lights back then but.....

Maybe aliens really like fruit.

Maybe they do.

I don't recall ever seeing any ghost lights myself, but I have to say that being in the middle of farm country - even an orchard - out in the middle of nowhere at night is spooky in and of itself. No streetlights, no car lights, just the light of the moon to guide you...yeah...pretty creepy.

Originally posted by cosmicpixie
How about taking a trip down to the area and talk to some of the locals. There must be a fair few who still live there 30+ years later. If there are too many doors to knock, how about printing up some simple black and white flyers containing the story and an appeal for information if anyone has any...? That's what I would probably do.
If anyone else saw it, maybe someone did make a report. maybe that report would now be available under the freedom of information act ? You could see if you could get anywhere by requesting any documents related to the time period in question.
Good luck with your search!

Since most of the locals are my relatives (this is a very small town), I've already asked just about everyone over the course of a few years now. They have told me either they never knew anything about it or if they did know something, they don't remember it.

I also have a relative who was in law enforcement in the town a few years ago, and he told me there is nothing on record, which is actually why I'm here - it seems nobody in town witnessed this (at least the landing, anyway) other than my grandfather, and nobody in town can even recall hearing about it. I was hoping perhaps someone who lived in a different town but near the area may remember hearing about it or even perhaps seeing a UFO around the same time - or at least the same year within the vicinity.