Emmons, MinnesotaJuly 1959

Insufficient Data

Summary

In July 1959, a metal object about 17 inches long and 5 inches wide turned up on a farm near Emmons, Minnesota, in Albert Lea County. The farmer who found it reported it to the sheriff, who contacted local police and military investigators. A newspaper photographer had already documented the object, so the story spread quickly to Minneapolis papers.

Military investigators from the Army Intelligence and Security Division examined the scene carefully. They noted that the object was heavily corroded and lay on top of the grass with no marks, discoloration, or signs of impact. Nearby bushes and trees showed no broken branches or damage that would suggest the object had fallen from above. According to witnesses, the object resembled a very corroded artillery shell and weighed approximately 12.25 pounds. It was apparently made of magnesium alloy and had a small spring protruding from the rear.

The military sent the object to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio for analysis. Scientists there quickly identified it as a magnesium anode, a device used to prevent corrosion in pipelines. This was not listed as a tentative conclusion but as a final, definitive evaluation. The identification was communicated to news organizations and private researchers who had inquired about the case.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, spanning 13 pages of microfilm.

Reported location

Emmons, Minnesota

Date of incident

July 1959

State / country

MN / US

Page count

13 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 36

; : ’ : PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD : 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS 0 Was Balloon ga Tink Le) Imrons, Minnesota 0 Probably Balloon 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4 TYPE OF OBSERVATION 07 Eessitly Balloon aE TH p 0 Was Aircraft [A L i Caenliiuiiin see No fut di bon toil 0 Ground- Visual O Ground-Radar 61 Probably: Alvarart GMT 0 Air Visual Oo Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aircraft 5. PHOTOS Pnysical loem 6. SOURCE Bl Was Arr anemieal 0 Yes O Probably Astronomical O No Civilian O Possibly Astronomical 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE Bt Other AR again 31 ued. O Insufficient Data for Evaluation O Unknown / M/A 1 I /A ra Ee 0 FE ee 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS A metal obj 17 inches long & 5 inches in Lab analysis - anode. ‘| diameter, apparently of magnesium alloy, approx 12 1/4 lbs, found on a farm by the owner. Obj very corroded, It was lying on top of the grass, & ther » no marks to indicate obj had fallen, on fey iN SPeCimend Fie) | " AYIC FORM 329 (RXV 28 SEP 52) . P 5 ] A)