21. The Petrified Giant Prank
In October of 1869, laborers were digging a well behind the barn of William C. “Stub” Newell, in Cardiff, New York, when they struck stone about three feet down. Clearing the soil around the obstruction revealed a huge foot. With mounting excitement, they continued digging and were astonished when they finally unearthed the petrified remains of a 10-foot tall man.
As news of the find spread, hundreds of archaeologists and scientists, and thousands of the curious, flocked to Newell’s farm, where he charged visitors fifty cents for a look. Newell made no claims about the giant’s authenticity but invited visitors to draw their own conclusions. While it seemed to many to be a crude statue, many more saw it as proof of the Bible’s assertions that giants had once walked the earth. The skeptics were right: it was all a prank.
