Episode 9- The Van Meter Visitor: Iowa’s Glowing-Horned Pterosaur Mystery

In 1903 the small town of Van Meter, Iowa, was terrorized by reports of a nine-foot, winged creature with leathery wings and a glowing horn that landed on rooftops, broke into buildings, emitted a foul stench, and resisted gunfire. Locals formed a posse, tracked the beast to an abandoned mine, and sealed the entrance after the sightings continued for several nights. The episode examines contemporary newspaper reports and eyewitness accounts, discusses possible explanations—from a surviving pterosaur or giant bat to mass hysteria or moonshine-fueled panic—and describes how Van Meter has embraced the legend with annual events and visitor signs today.