Van Meter Visitor
Winged, horned “visitor” reported by townspeople in 1903 Iowa
The Van Meter Visitor is one of the earliest and most well-documented cryptid encounters in American history, notable for the credibility of its witnesses and the concentrated burst of activity surrounding it. Unlike many legends that evolve slowly over decades, the Van Meter Visitor appeared suddenly, terrorized a town for several nights, and then vanished—leaving behind newspaper records, sworn statements, and a mystery that has never been resolved.
The incident began in September 1903 in the small town of Van Meter, Iowa. The first sighting was reported by Griffith, a local businessman, who encountered a strange figure perched atop a telephone pole late at night. He described it as a large winged creature with a bat-like wingspan and a single, glaring light or horn protruding from its forehead. When Griffith fired his revolver at the creature, the bullets appeared to have no effect. The entity spread its wings and glided silently away into the darkness.
Over the following nights, the creature was seen repeatedly by multiple residents. Witnesses consistently described it as enormous, with leathery wings, a horned or illuminated forehead, and an unsettling intelligence. It was often observed roosting on buildings or poles, watching the town below. Panic spread quickly. This was not a fleeting glimpse—it was a presence.
One of the most significant encounters involved Van Meter town officials, including the mayor and local law enforcement. After hearing repeated reports, a group of armed men formed a posse to confront the creature. They encountered it near an abandoned coal mine outside town. When they opened fire, witnesses claimed the bullets again had little effect. The creature reportedly retreated into the mine shaft, disappearing underground.
Believing the mine to be its lair, townspeople sealed the entrance. After this act, sightings ceased entirely.
What makes the Van Meter Visitor especially compelling is the nature of its documentation. Reports appeared in multiple newspapers shortly after the events, including the Des Moines Register. The accounts were treated seriously, not sensationally, and emphasized the reputations of the witnesses—business owners, civic leaders, and police officers—men with little incentive to fabricate such claims. No attempt was made at the time to turn the incident into folklore; it was recorded as an unexplained event.
Descriptions of the creature vary slightly but share core features: immense size, wings resembling those of a bat or pterosaur, and a glowing or horn-like structure on its head. Some later researchers have speculated that the Visitor may have been a misidentified owl, a hoax, or even an early case of mass hysteria. Others suggest a now-extinct species or something not biological at all.
The mine itself adds another layer of unease. Abandoned and poorly mapped, it represented the unknown beneath the town—a fitting place for something unnatural to retreat. No exploration ever recovered remains, feathers, or bones. The seal remained undisturbed.
In Dread Lore, the Van Meter Visitor is remembered not as a wandering monster, but as a trespasser—something that briefly crossed into human space, tested our weapons, and withdrew only when cut off from its refuge. It left no body, no proof, and no answers—only the chilling idea that whatever it was, it chose to leave.