Cardiff, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cardiff
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 Cardiff
Location in New York
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Onondaga |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Cardiff is a small community, called a hamlet, located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. It's found south of a bigger city called Syracuse. This little place got its name from Cardiff, which is the capital city of Wales.
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What is Cardiff?
Cardiff is a quiet hamlet, which is a very small village. It's part of Onondaga County in the state of New York. It's not a big city, but it has a special place in history because of a very famous event that happened there.
The Famous Cardiff Giant Hoax
Cardiff became super famous in 1869 because of something called the "Cardiff Giant". This was one of the most well-known hoaxes in American history! A hoax is like a big trick or a prank that makes people believe something fake is real.
How the Hoax Happened
On October 16, 1869, workers were digging a well on a farm owned by William C. "Stub" Newell in Cardiff. As they dug, they "discovered" a giant, stone figure that looked like a petrified (turned to stone) man. It was over 10 feet tall! People were amazed and thought it might be a real giant from ancient times.
News of the giant spread quickly. People came from all over to see it. Many believed it was a real fossilized giant. Some even thought it proved that giants once lived on Earth, as mentioned in some old stories.
Why Was It a Hoax?
The "Cardiff Giant" was actually a clever trick made by a man named George Hull. He was an atheist and wanted to make fun of people who took certain parts of the Bible literally, especially stories about giants.
Hull secretly hired stonecutters to carve a giant figure out of a large block of gypsum. Gypsum is a soft mineral. He then treated the stone to make it look old and weathered. He even poked holes in it with a darning needle to make it look like pores.
After it was finished, he buried it on his cousin William C. "Stub" Newell's farm in Cardiff. A year later, he arranged for the well to be dug exactly where the "giant" was buried.
Eventually, George Hull admitted that the giant was a fake. Even after the truth came out, many people still wanted to see the giant. It was a huge sensation and a great example of how easily people can be fooled!
Where is Cardiff?
Cardiff is a small community in Onondaga County, New York. It is located south of the city of Syracuse. It's a quiet area, but its connection to the famous Cardiff Giant makes it a notable spot in history.
