E.T. Researchers: Cowboys & Aliens Movie Distorts Truth About Wild West Aliens

Between 1840 and 1900, hundreds of UFO sightings were reported in the United States, according to Noe Torres, a librarian from South Texas, and John LeMay, a historical archivist in Roswell, New Mexico. These sightings have been documented in their book *The Real Cowboys & Aliens: UFO Encounters of the Old West*, published by Torres through his company, Roswell Books, which specializes in paranormal literature.

The book explores 14 notable UFO incidents during the era when “Cowboys & Aliens” is set. Contrary to the portrayal in the movie, where extraterrestrial beings are referred to as “demons,” LeMay noted that during the late 19th century, the idea of visitors from other planets was not entirely foreign. For example, an alleged UFO crash near Aurora, Texas, in 1897 was described in the Dallas Morning News as involving “Martians,” reflecting the belief at the time that Mars was the most likely planet to host life.

Torres emphasized that major newspapers of the day—including the Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star, and San Francisco Call—reported UFO sightings at face value rather than dismissing them as hoaxes or misinterpretations. Even prestigious publications like Scientific American and The New York Times documented unusual aerial phenomena. For instance, an 1873 sighting of a “flying serpent” was published in The New York Times, while an 1853 report from Tennessee described luminous objects behaving erratically near Burritt College.

One particularly striking incident occurred on April 17, 1897, in Aurora, Texas. A cigar-shaped craft reportedly crashed into a windmill on Judge J.S. Proctor’s property. The pilot of the craft—described as “not of this world”—was said to have died and was buried with Christian rites at Aurora Cemetery. Wreckage from the crash was allegedly dumped into a nearby well, later sealed by a property owner who claimed it caused health issues such as severe arthritis.

Torres and LeMay also highlighted how witnesses described UFOs using terms familiar to their time. Without modern concepts like airplanes or spacecraft, descriptions included “metallic balloons,” “flying serpents,” and even “a huge bale of cotton on fire.” These accounts reflect how people interpreted phenomena using their limited technological understanding.

Additional research has uncovered other intriguing sightings during this period:
– In 1860, Wilmington, Delaware residents reported a pale blue light accompanied by glowing red balls streaking across the sky.
– In Nebraska during the 1850s and 1860s, settlers described elongated mechanical structures resembling luminous serpents.
– In 1895, Oxford University linguist J.A.H. Murray witnessed an unexplained aerial phenomenon that traversed part of the heavens.

The book situates these sightings within broader historical contexts and challenges skeptics who dismiss pre-20th-century UFO reports as folklore or misinterpretations. As of 2025, interest in historical UFO encounters continues to grow, with researchers exploring connections between these early sightings and modern-day phenomena.

A movie I recommend which incorporates aspects of many UFO reports is Cowboys and Aliens. I have enjoyed watching it several times now.

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^{[1] https://science.howstuffworks.com/space/aliens-ufos/ufo-history4.htm
[2] https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/author/noe-torres/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora,_Texas,_UFO_incident
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightings
[5] https://www.strandbooks.com/product/9781953221353
[6] https://www.auroratexas.gov/community/history/
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Ja16qpAFE
[8] https://www.wellesleybooks.com/book/9781953221353}