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URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

DECEMBER 22, 1959, MODESTO, CALIFORNIA, USA, KENNETH LINDSAY:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

Apparently the US ufology group APRO reported in their January 1960 bulletin that near Modesto, California, on December 22, 1959, at 11:50 p.m., Kenneth Lindsey was walking in the night when he saw a bright orange bowl-shaped object descend to approximately 20 feet above the road, extending over the entire road.

He said: "On it I could see shadows which appeared to be moving, but I could not distinguish what they were."

After two minutes, the object rose again into the air. It is said that others in the neighborhood also saw this object.

Basic information table:

Narratives:

[Ref. jv1:] JACQUES VALLEE:

Jacques Vallée indicates in his catalogue of UFO landings that on December 22, 1959, at 23:50, in Oakdale, California, Kenneth Lindsley and several other witnesses saw a bright, orange object at ground level. It was bowl-shaped, as wide as the road, and shadows that appeared to be moving could be seen.

The source is indicated as "FSR 60, 3."

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that near Modesto, California, on December 22, 1959, at 11:50 p.m., Kenneth Lindsey was walking when he saw a bright orange bowl shaped object that descended to about 20 feet above the road, extending over the entire road.

"On it I could see shadows which appeared to be moving, but I could not distinguish what they were."

After 2 minutes, it rose again into the air. Others in the neighborhood also saw the object.

Albert Rosales indicates that the source is Apro Bulletin 1/60 and Humcat 1959-14.

[Ref. dj1:] DONALD JOHNSON:

Donald Johnson indicates that on December 22, 1959, Kenneth Lindsey was walking along a road near Modesto, California at around 11:50 at night, when he saw a bright, orange bowl-shaped object descend to about 20 feet above the road, extending across the entire roadway.

"On it I could see shadows which appeared to be moving, but I could not distinguish what they were."

After two minutes it rose again into the air. There were others in the neighborhood who also saw the object.

Donald Johnson indicates that the source is David F. Webb and Ted Bloecher, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports, case 1959-14, citing Coral Lorenzen, APRO Bulletin, January 1960.

Points to consider:

The report is very anecdotic: it is not known to whom the witness reported the sighting, it is not known who published it initially as the APRO bulletin might have simply picked up a newspaper report, the age of the witness is not known, the distance of observation is not known, it is not know whether there was an investigation or not, and so on.

In introduction to his catalogue, Jacques Vallée indicates that the level of validity of the cases he publishes is not the same one for all the case, that he does not claim that there is even one of them which is physically real, and that he declines any responsibility if readers interpret it differently. He is the only source claiming that there were several witnesses.

For this particular case, the published information is on the one hand completely insufficient, on the other hand of low strangeness. The UFO seems to be merely some elongated light on the ground, the occupants are moving shadows. It occurs at night, at an unspecified distance. Thus, it is not possible to exclude that was some confusion caused by some ordinary human activities, such as farmers working at night.

List of issues:

Evaluation:

Extraterrestrial visitors or confusion. Insufficient data.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

• [---] ? Article by Coral Lorenzen, in the ufology bulletin APRO Bulletin, APRO, USA, January 1960.
• [---] ? Ufology magazine Flying Saucer Review (FSR), U-K., Volume 6, #3, May 1960.
• [jv1] * "Passport to Magonia - On UFOs, Folklore, and Parallel Worlds", book by Jacques Vallée, Contemporary Books publisher, USA, 1969.
• [---] ? "HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports", compiled by David F. Webb and Ted Bloecher, USA, circa 1977.
• [ar1] * "1959 Humanoid Reports", compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2001, at www.ufoinfo.com/humanoid/humanoid1959.shtml
• [dj1] * "Encounters with Aliens on this Day - December 22", web page compiled by Donald Johnson, USA, circa 2005, at www.ufoinfo.com/onthisday/December22.html

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This page was last updated on March 21, 2008