Sheffield in Berkshire County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

Off-World Incident

Photographed By Thomas Reed

1. Off-World Incident Marker

This plaque was previously mounted on the white pedestal.

Inscription. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Thomas E. Reed On behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am pleased to confer upon you this Governor's Citation in recognition of the off-world incident on September 1st, 1969, which engaged the Reed Family, which has been established. Your dedicated service to the incident was factually upheld, founded, and deemed historically significant and true by means of Massachusetts Historians. The records highlighting the historic event are now officially part of the Great Barrington, MA Historical Society's Collection and your recent induction into Massachusetts history. This Third Day of November in the Year 2015 Charles D. Baker
Governor
Karyn E. Polito
Lieutenant Governor

Erected 2015.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is September 1, 1969.

Location. 42° 7.45′ N, 73° 21.249′ W. Marker is in Sheffield, Massachusetts, in Berkshire County. Marker can be reached from Covered Bridge Lane near S Main Street (U.S. 7), on the left when traveling east. Located next to the Sheffield Covered Bridge. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sheffield MA 01257, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other

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markers are within walking distance of this marker. Reconstruction of 1854 Covered Bridge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); American Legion Post 340 Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Barnard Park (approx. 0.8 miles away); World War II Memorial Trees (approx. 0.8 miles away); Sheffield World War I Monument (approx. 0.8 miles away); Sheffield World War II Monument (approx. 0.8 miles away); Cast Steel Bell (approx. 0.9 miles away); Old Parish Church Clock (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sheffield.

Regarding Off-World Incident.
Thomas Reed, named on the marker, was riding in a station wagon with family over the nearby Sheffield Bridge when they noticed a bright, floating object near their car. The car was flooded in light with an amber glow on both sides of the dirt road. They felt a change in pressure, or an electromagnetic field; a dead silence fell, the light grew brighter, and they found themselves somewhere else.

"Now, we do remember being in what looked like an airplane hanger," he said. "We didn't stay in the car. We were removed from the vehicle, that's true. Where we were, I don't know."

The next thing he knew, he was back in the station wagon, but his mother and grandmother had switched spots and more than two hours had gone by.
The

Photographed By Michael Herrick, December 6, 2018

2. Off-World Incident Marker

The original marker.

event was reported on by WSBS radio as 40 people from surrounding towns called in with their accounts of witnessing strange lights that night.

The marker and the white concrete pedestal were removed in 2019 due to controversary over its placement. All has been resolved and the Thom Reed UFO Monument Park was created and the marker reinstalled. The park is dedicated to Thom’s late father, Howard W. Reed, Ph.D.

The 1969 incident has been recognized by the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, NM and was a subject at the 1992 United Nations Symposium on Extraterrestrial Intelligence and Human Future.

Additional commentary.
1. Historic marker should not be removed
It is an important part of local history as well as US UFO history and should be allowed to be placed where the incident occurred. It seems odd that people are opposed to it as if they want to erase this from events that occurred in the town’s past. This historical marker should be allowed to be located at or very close to where the event occurred.

— Submitted June 7, 2019, by Fred Deitz of Gainesville, Virginia.

Photographed By Michael Herrick, December 6, 2018

3. Off-World Incident Marker

The Sheffield Covered Bridge is in the background.

The Thom Reed UFO Monument Park image. Click for more information.

Jennifer Huberdeau, via Up Country Magazine, August 18, 2020

4. The Thom Reed UFO Monument Park

Located on land adjacent to the site where the Reed family encountered a UFO in 1969, it has become a destination for those interested in UFOlogy.
Click for more information.

Thom Reed UFO Monument Park image. Click for more information.

Photographed By ABC News 10, Albany, NY, May 23, 2019

5. Thom Reed UFO Monument Park

Park website homepage:
The 1st UFO case officially inducted into the U.S. as "historically true". More information and videos regarding the incident.
Click for more information.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 8, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 1,476 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on February 19, 2021, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. 2, 3. submitted on December 6, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. 4. submitted on June 8, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 5. submitted on February 6, 2021, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.