See a Heavenly Meteor Up Close in Arkansas! Is it Real or Not?

There's been a lot of sightings of fireballs or meteors in the news recently but did you know there is a legend in the small town of Pocahontas, Arkansas of a supposed real meteorite that you can still see today up close in the nearby downtown town square?

The story goes that in the mid-1800s, residents witnessed a bright light streaking across the night sky as it became larger and brighter the closer it got to the ground.

When the meteor hit, it exploded with a loud boom heard for miles around. It landed in a field north of Black River Overlook Park, which during that time was just a river bank right off what is Highway 67 today.

For some 40 years, the meteorite stayed right where it landed until a railroad worker by the name of Oscar Keith, decided he wanted it so he loaded the huge boulder up and placed it in his front yard where it stayed for over a half a century. Curiosity got the best of the town folks and once the word got out people started flocking in from everywhere to marvel at this heavenly piece of art for which some began chipping off pieces for their own collection shrinking the size of the meteorite.

Today the infamous rock now has a permanent home at the Randolf County Courthouse and is guarded by a wrought iron fence to keep it safe and away from people who just a little piece of a souvenir. People are still driving from all parts of the country to see this rare phenomenon. You can see it in the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn right off Broadway and behind the Veterans memorial.

Some people have dismissed the meteor as just a wise old tale and it's nothing more than a big ol' Arkansas rock known as granite but don't tell the Pocahontas town folks, they will tell you it's for real.

So, far no little green men have showed up to claim it and neither have the Men in Black.

But maybe the dog senses something we can't.