The Simonton Incident: Did Aliens Offer A Wisconsin Man Pancakes In 1961?
By Sarah Norman | October 26, 2023
Joe Simonton's Breakfast Visitors
Nestled in the quaint town of Eagle River, Wisconsin, in 1961, something truly out of this world occurred, leaving a chicken farmer named Joe Simonton with a story that defies conventional explanation.
Picture this: a UFO lands near Joe Simonton's home, and what follows is nothing short of extraordinary. Inside this enigmatic craft were beings described as "Italian-looking" aliens, who, as the tale goes, exchanged pancakes for a simple bucket of water. While this story may elicit a chuckle or two, it's a reminder that the realm of UFO encounters often brims with the bizarre and the inexplicable.
As we embark on this visual journey through the Simonton Pancake Incident, we invite you to keep an open mind and consider the mysteries that continue to captivate those who seek the truth beyond the ordinary. UFO enthusiasts and curious minds alike, don't miss out on uncovering the quirky details and unanswered questions that make this story a unique entry in the annals of UFO lore. Continue reading to unravel the delightful yet perplexing account of pancakes from the stars!
In the late morning of April 18, 1961, Joe Simonton, a chicken farmer, was enjoying his breakfast at home when he was startled by a perplexing sound emanating from the vicinity of his farm. He gazed out of his window and was left utterly astonished as he beheld a silver disc suspended in the airspace above his backyard. This unidentified flying object measured an impressive four meters in height and spanned a diameter of 10 meters.
Simonton Heard The UFO Before He Saw It
At the age of 60, Mr. Simonton found himself at his farm in Eagle River, Wisconsin, USA, where he claimed to have had a remarkable encounter. He was drawn outside by a peculiar noise resembling "knobby tires on wet pavement," leading him to investigate further. To his astonishment, he spotted a metallic object resembling a UFO, which he likened to two inverted bowls with what he described as "exhaust pipes" encircling its edges.
Simonton Was More Curious Than Scared
(Gordon Wallace/LA Times)
Simonton's response was one of curiosity rather than shock as he ventured closer to inspect the object. As he stepped outside, a hatch on the disc unexpectedly opened, revealing the presence of three humanoid figures with dark complexions. According to the farmer, these beings were silent and bore a resemblance to Italians. Standing at approximately five feet in height, they were attired in snug-fitting attire that covered them from head to toe.
Italian Aliens?
In one of the more odd anecdotes from this story, which is saying something, when Simonton spoke with the press he claimed that at the time of the encounter the crew appeared to him as if they were of "Italian descent" and roughly in their mid-twenties to early thirties. We have two questions about this: Is there such a thing as space Italians? And do they have space pizza?
The Creatures Needed Water
Mary Evans Picture Library
Simonton recounted that one of the extraterrestrials held out a receptacle resembling a bucket, motioning for him to fill it with water. Obliging, he retrieved water from a nearby pump, then returned the filled bucket to the alien. As he did so, Simonton couldn't help but observe the interior of the craft, which appeared completely devoid of light. Within, one of the crew members was engrossed in operating a control panel, while others appeared to be getting ready to cook on what seemed to be a flameless grill.
Simonton Was Given Pancakes In Exchange For The Water
The beings appeared amicable and kindly presented him with four pancakes, each featuring minuscule perforations. Subsequently, they sealed the hatch, powered up their craft, gently ascended a short distance from the ground, and departed in a southerly direction. Simonton, clutching the four pancakes, watched this mesmerizing spectacle with eyes wide open in wonderment.
Space Alien Salute
Simonton claimed that after the pancakes were handed off to him the space Italian, “placed the tips of his right hand to his forehead and immediately withdrew it.” He assumed that this was some sort of salute. He noted, “So I gave him my salute. What am I gonna do?” Simonton continued:
Immediately after he gave me the pancakes he shut the hatchway and you could not see any notice of where the door was or that there had been a door there at all. You couldn’t see a bit more where that hatch was than you could see a hole in my hand.
The Creatures Left Forever
Simonton described watching the UFO disappear into the sky:
After the door shut, the ship began to rise. It went up about twenty feet, tipped on its side at about a 45 degree angle, then shot forth and away to the south. There was a backwash of some kind, for a pine tree near the ship, with a butt of about 8 or 9 inches, bent completely back. As the ship shot upward at a terrific speed, the tree oscillated back and forth and finally came to a stop. It showed no damage whatsoever, the trunk and branches being intact.
Simonton Was Left With Nothing But Pancakes
Once the craft was out of the atmosphere Simonton remembers:
Well, there I stood in the driveway with a handful of greasy pancakes and my mouth open wondering what the heck I saw. What had happened?
And How Were the Pancakes?
Simonton sampled one of the pancakes but found himself unimpressed with the culinary skills of the benevolent extraterrestrials, describing the taste as akin to cardboard. Typically, stories of this nature are dismissed as hoaxes due to their extraordinary elements, but this particular account managed to pique the interest of U.S. authorities. When neighbors reported a UFO sighting over Simonton's farm, they promptly contacted the U.S. Air Force, who subsequently arrived accompanied by members of Project Blue Book.
The Pancake Test
Simonton entrusted an alien pancake to a local judge, who attested to his integrity and trustworthiness. Another pancake found its way to Dr. J. Allen Hynek, while the third was delivered to the Food and Drug Administration through the auspices of the Air Force. Subsequent analysis revealed that these pancakes were crafted from entirely terrestrial ingredients.
No One Took Simonton Seriously
In a matter of days, what had initially been a captivating UFO encounter swiftly transformed into a subject of nationwide ridicule. Newspapers covered the incident with a mocking tone, yet those who had known Simonton for an extended period chose to put their faith in his account. During Dr. Hynek's inaugural meeting with Simonton, he found himself genuinely impressed by the farmer's demeanor. In one of his Project Blue Book reports, Dr. Hynek noted that Simonton was fully aware of the skepticism surrounding his story, but he remained unfazed. He steadfastly asserted that whatever he had witnessed was a genuine occurrence, irrespective of whether others believed him or not.
Is Eagle River A Supernatural Hot Spot?
Simonton resided in the idyllic town of Eagle River, nestled amidst lush forests and pristine lakes, near the Michigan border. In the subsequent month following the incident, the region experienced a widespread power outage that also disrupted all telephone communication. Additionally, on February 24 of the same year, a B-47 bomber crashed approximately 60 miles from Eagle River, and later, on May 2, another aircraft met a similar fate in the vicinity.
The Second Airplane Crash Was Incredibly Strange
The pilot in the second crash over Eagle River claimed that he experienced something supernatural prior to the accident. He said: “I felt this weightlessness and I was hanging by my straps” just before the crash. Unlike Roswell or similar supernatural hot spots, Eagle River has had several UFO sightings from in the early ‘60s but it never received the same amount of attention.
We'll Always Have Pancakes
The Eagle River UFO incident remains an enigma, with no definitive resolution. While the Air Force contended that Joe Simonton may have confused a dream with reality, Simonton adamantly asserted that his encounter with the UFO and its accompanying pancakes was a genuine experience, unaffected by official military pronouncements. Undoubtedly, this ranks as one of the most peculiar UFO tales of the 20th century, leaving us with more questions than answers.
