Kecksburg, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kecksburg, Pennsylvania
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 Kecksburg, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Westmoreland |
| Founded by | Johann Martin Keck |
| Elevation | 1,209 ft (369 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Kecksburg is a small, unincorporated community in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's located in a very wooded area, about thirty miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The community sits at an elevation of 1,209 feet above sea level.
Contents
History of Kecksburg
Early Days and Founding
Around 1860, a German merchant named Johann Martin Keck bought five acres of land. He then planned and created the community that would become Kecksburg. In 1868, Mr. Keck became the town's first postmaster. This meant he was in charge of the local post office. He held this important job for twenty-six years.
Community Life and Growth
In August 1888, people living in Kecksburg started a group called the Grover Cleveland Democratic society. Their goal was to encourage more people to vote for the Democratic party in future elections.
A year later, in the fall of 1890, a new local group was formed. It was a lodge for the Knights of Pythias, a friendly service organization. George H. Sewell helped set up this new group in Kecksburg.
Land and Industry
In March 1892, a company called J.M. Keck & Sons bought a farm in Kecksburg. This farm was right next to land owned by the Frick Coke Company. Newspapers at the time reported that J.M. Keck & Sons planned to build a "large plant of ovens" on the farm. This was because the land was believed to have a lot of coal underneath it.
Later that year, in early November, huge forest fires broke out. These fires were on the mountainside above Kecksburg and a nearby community called Waterford. The fires destroyed about thirty thousand acres of trees.
Unexplained Events
The Haunted Farmhouse Story
In December 1892, newspapers in the Pittsburgh area shared a strange story. They reported that several men were investigating unusual events at an "old stone farmhouse" in Kecksburg. People said "supernatural phenomena" had been happening there for weeks.
The Pittsburgh Post newspaper wrote that some of the investigators even fainted. This happened in a bedroom where the strange events were taking place. The newspaper also said that the "spirits" had not caused trouble until the previous fall. That's when work began to fix up the old building.
The alleged ghost was said to be the farm's former owner, David Ranler. He had lost his farm during a financial crisis called the Panic of 1857. Even though he had paid off most of his mortgage, he still owed a small amount. The sheriff made him leave the farm, and he became very poor and homeless. His fiancée also died around the same time. Ranler was said to have sworn he would haunt anyone who tried to change the farm if he died before getting it back.
The strange incidents included "hammerings all over the frame of the bed" of the new owner, William Newell. Also, bed sheets would be torn, and anyone trying to sleep in that specific bed or room would be violently thrown out.
The Kecksburg UFO Incident
On December 9, 1965, something very unusual happened. Thousands of people in at least six states and Ontario, Canada saw a large, bright fireball. It streaked across the sky over the Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario area. As it flew, it dropped metal pieces over Michigan and northern Ohio. It also caused loud sonic booms in Western Pennsylvania.
The fireball reportedly crashed in the woods just outside Kecksburg. Witnesses described the object as being shaped like an acorn. Many people thought it was a UFO, meaning an Unidentified Flying Object. However, the United States government officially stated that it was just a meteor. Today, many believe it was actually the Soviet Kosmos 96 spacecraft.
To remember this famous local event, the Kecksburg Volunteer Fire Department holds an annual festival. This festival includes talks by people interested in UFOs, vendor booths, and a community parade.
In 1990, the TV show Unsolved Mysteries created a large, metallic, bell-shaped model. They used it for their story about the Kecksburg incident. After the show aired, they gave the model to the town. It was first placed on a wooden stand behind the Kecksburg Volunteer Fire Department. Now, it is on a metal stand and lit up with spotlights.
See also
In Spanish: Kecksburg para niños
