Within Mc Leod Hill
Did later storytelling strengthen the sighting?
The fullest McLeod Hill narrative comes decades later, making source distance and witness memory central to the case.
On this page
- How Dearborn traced the Mc Leod Hill rumour
- What Dr David Wade added to the story
- How decades of delay affect witness detail
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Introduction
The strongest challenge to the McLeod Hill trace story is not the claim itself but the way the story reached later researchers. The most detailed version of the incident emerged decades after the alleged 1965 event, primarily through the work of New Brunswick writer Dorothy Dearborn rather than through a contemporary newspaper report, police file, or scientific investigation. As a result, the case has become an example of how witness memory, local rumour, and retrospective storytelling can preserve a story while simultaneously making it harder to verify. The key question is not whether later witnesses were dishonest. It is whether memories recalled and retold many years after an event can strengthen a case that lacks strong contemporary documentation. The available evidence suggests that Dearborn preserved valuable local testimony, but that the passage of time ultimately limits how much weight those recollections can carry. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
How Dearborn traced the McLeod Hill rumour
The importance of Dorothy Dearborn’s contribution lies in the fact that she appears to have been investigating a story that was already old by the time she encountered it. Her 1996 book on New Brunswick mysteries and UFO experiences included an account of the McLeod Hill incident and described efforts to locate people connected with the event. According to later summaries of her work, she first heard rumours of a UFO landing at the Walter Lint farm near McLeod Hill and attempted to verify what had happened. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
One of the most revealing details in the retelling is that Dearborn reportedly searched back issues of the Daily Gleaner but did not find coverage of the incident. Rather than ending the inquiry there, she continued by seeking information from people who remembered the story. This is significant because it shows the investigation moving from documentary evidence to oral testimony. Once the newspaper trail appeared to run cold, the case became dependent on what local residents could still recall years later. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
That approach preserved information that might otherwise have disappeared entirely. At the same time, it meant that the most detailed surviving narrative was already separated from the alleged event by decades. The McLeod Hill case therefore survives less as a contemporaneous record than as a reconstructed local memory.
What Dr David Wade added to the story
The most vivid details associated with McLeod Hill entered the public record through recollections attributed to Dr David Wade. According to Dearborn’s account as later summarised by other writers, Wade stated that he had heard about the incident while a university student in 1965. He, his brother, and a friend reportedly travelled to the Lint farm after hearing rumours of an unusual event. There they were allegedly shown the area by members of the Lint family and observed circular depressions or markings in the field. The account also includes descriptions of the reported object supplied by the Lint daughters. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
From a historical perspective, Wade’s recollections are important because they add specificity. Without them, the McLeod Hill story would largely consist of a brief catalogue entry mentioning a hovering object and ground traces. Wade supplied names, circumstances, and a sequence of events that make the story easier to visualise and discuss. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
However, the same feature that makes the account richer also makes it more difficult to evaluate. The details appear in a recollection recorded many years after the event rather than in notes written at the time. Researchers therefore have limited ability to determine which elements were remembered directly, which came from conversations with others, and which may have been shaped by repeated retellings over the years.
How decades of delay affect witness detail
The McLeod Hill case illustrates a common problem in historical UFO research: detailed stories often survive longer than supporting documents.
Memory research consistently shows that recollections can remain sincere while becoming less reliable over long periods. People tend to retain the broad outline of an unusual experience better than precise measurements, timings, distances, sequences of events, or exact wording. Later conversations, media coverage, and repeated storytelling can also influence how an event is remembered. Studies of witness memory have shown that recollections can be altered by later information without the witness consciously intending to distort the original event. [Jus Mundi]jusmundi.comJus MundiAppendix 1: Selected Review of Scientific Literature…Fabricated evidence can induce people to remember fabricated childhood e…
Applied to McLeod Hill, this does not mean that Wade or other witnesses were necessarily mistaken about everything they recalled. Rather, it means that later-added details cannot automatically be treated as equivalent to notes recorded in 1965. Historians and investigators generally place greater weight on:
- Contemporary reports created near the time of the event.
- Photographs, measurements, or physical samples.
- Independent witness statements recorded separately.
- Official records from police, military, aviation, or government agencies.
The McLeod Hill story has relatively little surviving material of this kind. Most of the memorable details emerge from retrospective testimony. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
Did later storytelling strengthen the sighting?
In one sense, yes. Without Dearborn’s efforts, the McLeod Hill incident might have survived only as a brief line in a UFO catalogue. Her investigation preserved names, local context, and witness recollections that give researchers a clearer idea of why the story remained part of New Brunswick UFO folklore. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
In another sense, however, the later retelling did not significantly strengthen the evidential case. The additional details were not accompanied by newly discovered photographs, newspaper articles, field measurements, laboratory analyses, or official reports. The story became richer, but not necessarily better documented. The gap between the alleged event and the fullest published narrative remains one of the central weaknesses of the case. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
For that reason, the McLeod Hill incident is best understood as a case where witness memory preserved a local tradition but could not fully overcome the absence of contemporary evidence. Dearborn’s work added context and human detail, yet it also highlighted how much of the original record appears to have been lost. Within New Brunswick UFO history, that tension between remembered experience and missing documentation is precisely what makes the case noteworthy. [jimlawrenceavondale]jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.comfrederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960sFredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro…
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Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Did later storytelling strengthen the sighting?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Eyewitness Testimony
Directly addresses how recollections change over time and how later retellings affect perceived accuracy.
The Demon-Haunted World
Explores evaluating extraordinary claims when documentation is limited and stories grow through retelling.
The Believing Brain
Examines how people construct and reinforce narratives from incomplete evidence.
UFOs
Provides a UFO-investigation context and contrasts documented testimony with weaker retrospective accounts.
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Endnotes
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Source: jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.com
Title: frederictonnb canada multi ufo sightings of the 1960s
Link: https://jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.com/2022/01/23/frederictonnb-canada-multi-ufo-sightings-of-the-1960s/Source snippet
Fredericton,NB, Canada Multi UFO sightings of the 1960'sJanuary 23, 2022 — 23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wro...
Published: January 23, 2022
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Source: jusmundi.com
Link: https://jusmundi.com/en/document/publication/en-appendix-1-selected-review-of-scientific-literature-relating-to-memory-and-witness-evidenceSource snippet
Jus MundiAppendix 1: Selected Review of Scientific Literature...Fabricated evidence can induce people to remember fabricated childhood e...
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Source: jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.com
Link: https://jimlawrenceavondale.wordpress.com/Source snippet
wordpress.comjimlawrenceavondale23 Jan 2022 — The late Dorothy Dearborn wrote in her book the investigation of the McLeod Hill UFO landin...
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