History on Tap: UFO Northwest — How Washington State Spawned the Men in Black
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Kiggins Theatre | 1011 Main Street, Vancouver, WA 98660
Doors open at 6:00 PM | Program begins at 7:00 PM
Join us at the historic Kiggins Theatre for the next installment of History on Tap as we dive into one of the Pacific Northwest’s most fascinating and eerie tales of government secrecy, UFOs, and the origin of the “Men in Black.”
On August 1, 1947, the crash of a B-25 bomber in Washington State triggered a federal investigation into “The Maury Island Incident”—an event widely considered the first reported UFO encounter involving the so-called Men in Black. Declassified FBI files from the time reveal a story shaped by Cold War paranoia, interagency conflict, cover-ups, false confessions, and the direct involvement of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.
In UFO Northwest: How Washington State Spawned the Men in Black, guest speaker Steve Edmiston unravels this true Washington State mystery and explores its lasting influence on UFO lore in popular culture—from 1950s pulp magazines to The X-Files and the Men in Black films. He’ll also explore how the Northwest’s claim to UFO history has been challenged by other narratives across the country.
Admission:
Free for Clark County Historical Museum members
$5 in advance | $10 at the door for non-members
About the Speaker
Steve Edmiston (he/him) is a business and entertainment attorney with Bracepoint Law, as well as a screenwriter and producer. He has spoken at the Pacific Northwest History Conference, Washington State Historical Museum, McMenamins History Pubs, and film festivals and conferences across the region. He is the screenwriter and co-producer of The Maury Island Incident, a short film based on the 1947 UFO sighting reported by Harold Dahl over Puget Sound.
Sponsored By
This program is made possible with generous support from:
Vancouver’s Downtown Association, Heritage Bank, Humanities Washington, Silver Keys Media, and NW Legacy Law.
Tickets on sale soon!
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