Appanoose Petrified Giant

The Appanoose Petrified Giant was an alleged petrified corpse that was claimed to have been excavated from a planned coal shaft at the farm of Thomas Barker in Appanoose County, Iowa, some twenty miles south of Albia, Iowa, on 19 January 1895, described in early press coverage as measuring around 20 feet (6.1 m.) in height with enormous appendages and features to match. The claims were almost immediately decried as a hoax by regional newspapers, being credited to an unnamed Albia newspaper editor who was accused of fabricating other stories about the town that were also picked-up by national papers. However, despite the accusation that the story was a fraud, reports of the Appanoose County giant continued to circulate, its measure being reduced to 16 ft. 4 in. (5 m.) and a weight of 4000 lbs. (1814 kg.), and it was further noted that it had been acquired by Al Swalm on behalf of the Iowa State University, where it was said to be on display.