93-year-old meteorite finds its way home to Northeast Arkansas

PARAGOULD, Ark. (KAIT) - An infamous meteorite from 1930 has officially made it back home to Paragould.

93 years ago, a meteorite was seen as it was falling, in Northeast Arkansas.

“This particular meteorite, which fell in 1930, near the French community, is the second largest observed meteorite fall in North America,” said David Neighbors, co-chairman of Solar Ecplise Task Force.

However, its story didn’t stop there.

“It was sold to a local schoolteacher I believe, who then sold it to a collector, who in turn sold it to the Field Museum in Chicago,” said Neighbors.

Neighbors then said the Field Museum loaned the meteorite to the University of Arkansas where it had resided until about a month ago.

The Paragould Chamber of Commerce formed the Solar Eclipse Task Force about a year ago and soon began working to bring the meteorite back to Paragould.

“One thing lead to another, and we were successful,” Neighbors said.

The meteorite eventually made its way to the Greene County Museum.

Vice president of the Greene County Museum, Brenda Turner, says she is overjoyed that the meteorite found its way back home.

She welcomes everyone to come and see it, as well as learn a little more about its history, which she says is quite the story.

“We have pictures of the people that pulled it out ,and when they first put it on their wagon trailer, it broke the axle and so they had to try again,” Turner said.

People will be able to see the meteorite at the museum starting Saturday, May 20 at 10:00 a.m.

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