On March 3, 1876 — exactly 150 years before this episode was recorded — raw meat rained from the sky over a Kentucky farm for more than a minute. More than 40 pounds of flesh fell on the Crouch family property in Bath County. Scientists analyzed samples. Scientific American published a report. A preserved piece of the substance still exists today.

Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli investigate: was it a hoax? A weather event? A passing balloonist? Space meat? Or something involving animal biology that's stranger than most people would guess?

Topics covered:

• Bath County, Kentucky and the history of Olympian Springs Resort
• 19th-century soap-making and the chemistry of how soap works
• The New York Times (1876) and New York Herald (1876) primary source accounts
• Eyewitness testimony from Mrs. Crouch, B.F. Ellington, L.C. Frisbee, C.J. Craig, Rev. J.R. Nichols, and Joe Jordan
• Every theory evaluated: literary hoax, physical hoax, Nostoc, frog spawn, wind, balloon, space meat, vultures
• The surviving sample at Transylvania University and the 2004 DNA test
• Listener feedback on MYS399: the food pyramid, Ouija boards and possession rates, the Star of Bethlehem, baptismal formula validity, and the Magi

Learn more: https://mysterious.fm/410
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Further Resources:
• Kentucky Meat Shower (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_meat_shower
• Kentucky Meat Shower (Atlas Obscura): https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/kentucky-meat-shower
• Bath County (Kentucky Historical Society): https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/466
• Olympian Springs (Kentucky Historical Society): https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/473

Chapters:
0:13 - Intro
2:34 - Bath County, Kentucky
10:18 - The farm of Mr. Allen Crouch, March 3, 1876
13:58 - The meat shower in the news
23:24 - Mrs. Crouch interviewed by reporter
33:02 - Statements from other locals
49:35 - Professor Smith
53:20 - Reporter's theories and a final test
56:05 - Thank you to Patrons
56:36 - Sponsor: The Grady Group
56:57 - Theories
57:36 - Faith Perspective
58:05 - Reason Perspective: literary hoax?
1:03:07 - Hoax by Crouches?
1:10:05 - How it got in the air?
1:11:32 - Falling from orbit?
1:12:35 - Nostoc?
1:13:20 - Fell from a balloon?
1:13:54 - Carried by the wind?
1:16:43 - Buzzards?
1:24:00 - Frog spawn?
1:24:40 - Was it really meat?
1:28:09 - Bottom Line
1:29:02 - Further Resources
1:29:18 - Mysterious Feedback: #399 Alone Together for Christmas
1:41:06 - Your mysterious feedback
1:41:43 - Thank you to Oasis Studio 7
1:41:49 - Jimmy’s YouTube channel
1:42:35 - Next Time
1:42:43 - Follow the show
1:42:58 - Get your Mysterious merch
1:43:06 - Show notes
1:43:13 - Become a Patron
1:43:22 - Sponsor: Rosary Army and School of Mary
1:43:47 - Outro

#JimmyAkin #MysteriesWorld #KentuckyMeatShower #WeirdHistory #Unexplained #TrueHistory