October is here + spooky season is upon us. We’ll be using this time to tell a few stories about the stranger side of Kentucky.
Grab your umbrellas + maybe skip to the events section if you’re a vegetarian. Today, we’re talking about the incident of the Kentucky meat shower.
The story goes:
March 3, 1876 | It’s a typical spring morning in Bath County, Kentucky, about an hour outside Lexington. The Crouch family farm sits nestled between the picturesque hills of the countryside + Mrs. Crouch is making soap on her front porch.
Timeline:
11 a.m. | The peaceful morning is interrupted when chunks of red, gristly meat begin to fall from the sky — slapping the ground + clinging to the farm’s fences. When Mr. Crouch returned home that evening, he found his farm animals eating the remnants of the uncanny storm.
12 p.m. | The grizzly shower concludes, but the mystery just begins.
Details
Size | Mrs. Crouch reported that most of the meat chunks were 2x2 inches.
Area | In total, shards of meat were found in an area of land that totaled 100x50 yards, about an acre.
Documentation
News this gory didn’t stay quiet for long. The strange meat shower began to make headlines across the country —
- “Flesh Descending in a Shower,” wrote the New York Times
- A local Bath County reporter collected samples + preserved them in alcohol.
- Scientific American reported that the meat was beef, but locals — who went as far as tasting the meat — said it tasted more like lamb or deer.
Theory
The most widely accepted theory for this strange occurrence has come to be known as the “Vulture Theory.”
The two species of vulture in Kentucky — the black vulture and the turkey vulture — are known to regurgitate their stomachs as either a defense mechanism or to make themselves light enough for flight.
Dive deeper
Check out the following publications if you’re looking to learn more about this strange Kentucky tale:
Local eats
Hankerin’ for a hamburger after learning about the Kentucky meat shower? Check out these local butcher shops to curb your carnivorous cravings locally.
- Critchfield Meats Family Market, 398 Southland Dr.
- Uncle Charlie’s Meats, 1066 E. New Circle Rd.
- Wilson’s Grocery and Meat, 1010 Cramer Ave.
