Van Meter is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, USA, located along the banks of the Raccoon River. This small town, which was only incorporated in 1869, welcomed an unexpected guest in September and October of 1903, known as the mysterious “Van Meter Visitor.” That autumn, many claimed to have seen a giant bat-like creature in Van Meter and its surroundings. This creature was said to be about 9 feet tall and capable of emitting light from a horn on its forehead.
There were numerous eyewitnesses at the time, many of whom had confronted the creature head-on and even fired shots at it. However, it was said that the creature was unaffected by bullets. Many who had encountered the creature also mysteriously disappeared three or four days later. Despite the lack of photographic evidence, there seemed to be plenty of “evidence” to suggest that an uninvited guest indeed visited this town at that time. Over the following hundred years, similar creatures have been sighted in many places around the world.
Is the “Van Meter Visitor” a mutated creature, a surviving ancient species, or an alien visitor? Or is it merely a hallucination of the town’s people? 
An Autumn Night a Century Ago
September 29, 1903, seemed like an ordinary autumn day in Van Meter, Iowa, USA. However, the visit of an uninvited guest completely changed this day. From that night on, the residents of Van Meter embarked on a journey filled with fear and astonishment.
Griffith, a town resident, was reportedly the first to see this terrifying creature. On the morning of the 29th, he was awakened by strange light, after which he saw something moving on his roof.
Group photo of some town residents in 1901, Griffith (front row center), White (back row, left)
Around the same time the following night, Dr. Alcott was sleeping in a room above his office. Suddenly, he was awakened by a bright light outside his window. He left the room to find many people had been awakened by the light, guns in hand, searching around. Soon, they discovered the source of the light: a humanoid creature with bat-like wings.
Eyewitnesses described it as an 8-foot-tall half-human, half-winged beast with a horn on its head that emitted dazzling white light. People tried to shoot at the creature, but it was completely unaffected. The giant creature leaped from one rooftop to another and then disappeared into the night.
The Third Night’s Vigil
Griffith and Alcott were both trustworthy figures in the town. After their encounters became known, the town’s people believed in the existence of the “Van Meter Visitor” and decided to stay up all night on the third day to track the monster.
Town resident Dunn was on guard at home with a gun that night. Around 1:00 AM, Dunn heard a “shrill noise” at his doorstep. When he opened the door, a beam of bright light shone in. Instinctively, Dunn fired several shots at the light. Like Alcott’s encounter, it had no effect on the creature. The next morning, Dunn found several three-toed footprints at his doorstep. He later made plaster casts of the footprints.
Dunn was not the only witness; in fact, there were many on the third day. White, the owner of a local hardware store, saw the monster asleep on a telegraph pole and tried to shoot it. Interestingly, according to White’s description, the Van Meter Visitor did not emit light beams or make shrill noises but instead released a “foul odor” to express its anger.
The Battle in the Abandoned Coal Mine
White’s neighbor, Greg, also saw the Van Meter Visitor, saying the creature descended from the telegraph pole, flew over the town, and headed towards an old coal mine on the outskirts. After three days of terror, the town’s residents decided to fight back. After hearing Greg’s description, several townsfolk set out to investigate the mine. When they arrived, they indeed saw the Van Meter Visitor, but they also saw a second creature emerge from the mine. Before they could confront either creature, they both disappeared into the night.
People decided to wait and see if the creatures would return, and they did. An article in the Des Moines Daily News on October 3, 1903, described the scene: “Soon, the noise rang out again, as if Satan and a host of imps were coming out to battle.” People began firing at these creatures. Despite the increased firepower this time, the two creatures remained unharmed. Ultimately, they disappeared into the mine.
The town’s residents were unsure what to do next or how to deal with these seemingly invincible creatures. They finally decided to seal the abandoned mine with bricks to ensure these creatures would never see the light of day again.
And after that, the “Van Meter Visitor” was never seen again.
An Author’s Investigation
A century after these events, a writer named Chad Lewis became interested in the “Van Meter Visitor” and began an investigation. With the help of a local librarian, he found a wealth of written material. Some people he interviewed also claimed that the elders remembered the monster, although their views on its authenticity varied.
During his investigation, Lewis traveled extensively, discovering strange stories circulating locally, including ghosts and odd snakes. But regarding the “Van Meter Visitor,” Lewis initially leaned towards “it was a hoax,” like other strange creatures reported elsewhere. However, certain details in the descriptions challenged Lewis’s view. For instance, who could dress up as a monster and survive such intense firepower?
Some researchers expressed their skepticism with more scientific approaches. Professor Zimmerman from Iowa State University believes “a legend has a cycle, usually starting with very real descriptions from eyewitnesses. These descriptions might be real but inexplicable. But afterward, some facts start to evolve, eventually becoming legend.”
Professor Sharp from California State University, Fresno, suggests that a person’s narrative grows with the passage of memory. This can make a fictional story part of one’s memory. “Perhaps someone really saw it, but perhaps many eyewitnesses’ memories are just illusions.”
Sharp’s research indicates that individuals with tendencies towards depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or dissociative tendencies are more likely to see UFOs or strange creatures, and these encounters can be harmful to them.
Today, the young people of Van Meter view the “Van Meter Visitor” as an interesting legend, suitable for scaring kids or telling around campfires. Lewis, though unsure what exactly happened that autumn in 1903, believes that the search for answers is more important than discovering the truth. “The people of Van Meter left this story for the rest of us,” Lewis says. “I think it was meant to be.”
