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In the summer of 1903, the town of Van Meter, Iowa was not a place where unusual things
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were expected to happen.
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Van Meter sat west of Des Moines along the Raccoon River, a railroad town shaped by agriculture
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At the turn of the 20th century, it was home to a few hundred residents.
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Most people worked with their hands, and their days were measured by train schedules and
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the steady rhythms of Midwestern life.
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When the sun went down, the town went quiet.
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That is why, in early June of that year, when residents began waking one another in the
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middle of the night, it did not take long for panic to spread.
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According to reports published at the time, something was moving through the town after
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It was not moving quickly, but deliberately.
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It appeared on rooftops, near buildings, sometimes along the edge of the river.
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Men who believed they had seen every animal that the state of Iowa had to offer, said
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they did not recognize it.
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People reached first for land turns, then for guns.
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Within days, what began as a late night disturbance would escalate into armed watches, shots
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fired in the street, and a decision by towns people to seal off an abandoned coal mine
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on the edge of town.
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Use papers as far away as New York would carry stories out of van meter describing a
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creature that no one could identify, and that no one could capture.
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The sightings lasted less than a week.
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They ended as abruptly as they began, and they left behind no body, no tracks, and no clear
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This has been a preview of an unresolved bonus episode, available to those who support
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the show on Patreon.
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If you would like to hear it, please head over to patreon.com slash unresolved pod, or click
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on the link below in the show notes to learn more.
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And as always, thanks for listening.
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Well, there are court costs, attorney fees, higher insurance costs, damage to your car,
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Not to mention the damage to your social life, plan a sober ride, or pay the price, drinking
2:34
and driving costs more than your drinks.
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It could cost a life.
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Learn more at What'sTheDamage.org, brought to you by Virginia DMV.
