Van Meter Monster: North American Folklore

In October of 1903 the small midwestern town of Van Meter, Iowa was plagued by visits from a strange and frightening creature.

The beast was described as part human, part reptilian, and most notably, this monster was said to have large, bat-like wings. Another notable feature of the Van Meter Monster is the beam of light that shined from his forehead. The Visitor, as townsfolk referred to him as, was said to be about 8 feet tall. It was said the Van Meter Monster left behind a hideous odor wherever he had been.

Sightings of the monster were taken seriously, as it was prominent figures of the community, including the local doctor, who reported seeing this beast.

Many of the people of the town took aim and attempted to shoot The Visitor during his nighttime prowlings. However, it seemed the monster was unfazed by the bullets, as he never indicated injury and was never stopped by the shots fired at him.

As legend has it, the townsfolk grew sick of living in fear of the monster, and banded together to chase him out of town. Armed and angry, they pursued The Visitor to a nearby abandoned coal mine. There they were surprised to find the beast was not alone, but had a mate waiting in the mines. As the mob opened fire on them, the two creatures descended into the darkness of the mines, seemingly disappearing, and have not been seen since.

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