Just how far back does our history with UFO's go?  While researching local Indian legends, a few descriptions of their historic events could be describing a UFO sighting.  Here's a few New Hampshire examples:

 

Chief Passaconway's Ride To Heaven came when "at the age of one hundred and twenty he retired from his tribe and lived in a lonely wigwam among the Pennacooks.  One winter night the howling of wolves was heard, and a pack came dashing through the village, harnessed by threes to a sledge of hickory saplings that bore a tall throne spread with furs (dog sled).  The wolves paused at Passaconway's door.  The old  chief came forth, climbed upon the sledge, and was borne away with a triumph apostrophe that sounded above the yelping and snarling of his train.  Across Winnipesaukee's frozen surface they sped like the wind, and the belated hunter shrank aside as he saw the giant towering against the northern lights and heard his death-song echo from the cliffs.  Through pathless woods, across ravines, the wolves sped on, with never slackened speed, the mazes of the Agiochooks to the highest peak we now call Washington.  Up its steep wilderness of snow the ride went furiously; the summit was neared, the sledge burst into flame, still there was no pause; the height was gained, the wolves went howling into the darkness, but the car, wrapped in sheaves of fire, shot like a meteor toward the sky and was lost amid the stars of the winter night.  So passed the Indian king into Heaven." 

 

Myths And Legends Of Our Own Land, by Charles M. Skinner, 1896

 

Passaconway died around 1675 and the legend was written down and published in 1896.  Neither time period understood UFO's.  Not knowing how to describe the UFO, they likened it to a dog sled with extraordinary abilities; like being able to turn on an engine that produced flames to make it able to fly.  The "dog sled" the chief was riding on "burst into flame" and kept on going up higher and higher into the sky.  The "giant towering against the northern lights" could have been a large UFO seen in the sky, and as it hovered it made loud noise that echoed off the rocks.  The "northern lights" that happen in N.H. are quite beautiful and many colors are often seen.  There may actually have been northern lights happening when the UFO was seen, or it could loosely describe colored lights either on the UFO or produced by the UFO.   The "car", "dog sled" or UFO was "wrapped in sheaves of  fire" most likely glowing orange - the color most associated with fire, took off extremely fast because "it shot like a meteor" and went up into the stars.  Modern UFO reports often describe taking off at extreme speeds.

 

Ossipee Lake, an area sacred to the Indians, is one of "numerous "kettle" lakes that were carved out by glaciers during the ice age, and some of the ponds are considered bottomless and may be connected to each other by volcanic vents.  It is said that  during the ice UFO's have been seen plunging into these deep ponds."

 

This information was found on mcadams.posc.mu.edu/weberman/aa072997.htm

 

When a UFO plunges into the water, it becomes submerged, and technically is described as a USO.  It's hard to put a date on this legend, but could be as early as the late 1600's or sometime in the 1700's, but most likely before the 1800's.

 

Between 1750 and 1800 in the area of Putney Hill, Hopkinton "there were many reports of light-filled balls or globes seen floating in the area.  It was said that the globes moved silently through the air.  They did not appear to move at random, but as if some intelligence was navigating them.  For example, a globe would follow a person; stop when the person stopped, then move again once he or she began to walk.  However, the globes stayed a certain distance away from the person at all times."

 

N.H. UFO's & Extraterrestrials:  A Look At The Sightings & Science In Our State, by Carole Marsh

 

In 1796 in the area of Gould Hill between Contoocook and Hopkinton "three people witnessed approximately fifteen ships in the air.  These craft were close enough for the witnesses to see sides and ports."

 

This information was found onhttp://spacepub.com/users/data/sightings/neh/neh.htm

 

The Vision On Mount Adams reportedly took place in 1816 when "a hunter camped on the side of Mount Adams, was awakened at midnight by the notes of an organ.  The mists were rolling off, and he found that he had gone to sleep near a mighty church of was awakened stone that shone in the soft light.  The doors were flung back, showing a tribe of Indians kneeling within.  Candles sparkled on the altar, shooting their rays through clouds of incense, and the rocks shook with thunder-gusts of music.  Suddenly church, lights, worshipers vanished, and from the mists came forth a line of uncouth forms, marching in silence.  As they started to descend the mountain, a silver image, floating in the air, spread a pair of gleaming pinions and took flight, disappearing in the chaos of battlemented rocks above."

 

Myths And Legends Of Our Own Land, by Charles M. Skinner, 1896

 

"The notes of an organ" could have been the high-pitched whining or engine noises of a UFO, and "The mists were rolling off" could still be said today of some types of UFO's that create a mist or cloud around them.  "A mighty church of stone that shone in soft light" describes a huge craft, as big as a church and made of materials that were hard, like rock, maybe the same color as rock; gray or black.  Many UFO's glow both inside and out, along with lights on the outside of the craft.  "The doors were flung back showing a tribe of Indians kneeling within.  Candles sparkled on the altar, shooting their rays through clouds of incense, and the rocks shook with thunder-gusts of music.  Suddenly church, lights, worshippers vanished, and from the mists came forth a line of uncouth forms, marching in silence."  The craft opened and showed what looked like people kneeling, but then describes them as uncouth; which means unfamiliar, strange, awkward, and clumsy in shape or appearance.  The hunter was watching short aliens coming out of a craft that had landed.  At this point the hunter most likely experienced missing time because suddenly everything vanished.  "As they started to descend the mountain, a silver image, floating in the air, spread a pair of gleaming pinions and took flight, disappearing"  could be the aliens left the craft, then it hovered, at which point silver pinions; which means birds wings, were seen before it flew off.

 

In the winter of 1870 a photograph of cloud formations atop Mount Washington captured the first UFO on film.  It shows a long cigar shaped object.  this information was found in The Weirs Times, March 3, 2005, with a photograph.

 

 In 1896 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard "two security guards were guarding the bridge from the mainland to the dock where a Navy ship was tied to a floating dock.  At about 9:00 pm an object appeared flying over the bridge.  Both men shot at it and heard the 'ping' of the bullets hitting the craft.  The object brightened up and took off faster then when it flew over."      

 

This information was found on www.ufocasebook.com/1896nhshipyard.html

 

From our neighbors to the south, Massachusetts offers a few legends also:

 

Dighton Rock, Fall River, Mass.  There is a huge boulder with carvings on it.  "The Indians have a legend of the arrival of white men in a 'bird', undoubtedly a ship, from which issued thunder and lightening.  A battle ensued when the visitors landed, and the white men wrote the story of it on the rock."  

 

Myths And Legends Of Our Own Land, by Charles M. Skinner, 1896

 

Aliens arrived from the sky in a "bird", their description of a UFO, that made loud noise and bright lights.  The boulder is located in the middle of Fall River surrounded by swift water that is slowly eroding away the carved inscriptions.

 

From the personal journals of Governor John Winththrop is an interesting description of a UFO sighting.  In his 1638 entries he wrote:  "In this year, one James Everell, a sober, discreet man, and two others, saw a great light in the night at Muddy River.  When it stood still, it flamed up, and was about three yards square; it ran as swift as an arrow towards Charlton and so up and down about two or three hours.  They were come down in their lighter about a mile, and , when it was over, they found themselves carried back against the tide too the place they came from  Other credible persons saw the same light." 

 

The History of New England from 1630 to 1649, by John Winthrop, Esquire (1588-1649)

 

Muddy River is a collection of brooks and ponds that run about three and a half miles from Jamaica Pond near Boston to the Charles River.  These men were out in a small row boat and saw a UFO hovering and slowly moving for up to three hours, then at times it moved very quickly.  Also described is the bewilderment of discovering that after three hours, their boat had somehow drifted back to where they had started out.

 

This article was researched and written by N.H. Flapjack, editor of nhufo.org