On a hot August night in 1955, a family in rural Kentucky ran to the police claiming something small, strange, and decidedly not human had been surrounding their farmhouse for hours.

They had fired at it.

More than once.

And it kept coming back.

In the first episode of Local Lore Diaries, we take the scenic route to Kelly, Kentucky, and the infamous encounter that would become known as the Hopkinsville Goblins.

What began with a strange light in the sky turned into hours of fear, gunfire, terrified children, police officers surrounding a farmhouse, and a mystery that still hasn't been completely explained.

But the story we know today isn't quite the story witnesses originally told.

Were they really confronted by something unknown? Were they seeing great horned owls in the darkness? Could fear, adrenaline, and a long night have transformed something ordinary into something extraordinary?

Or did something truly unexplained visit that Kentucky farmhouse?

We'll look at the original accounts, the police response, the UFO theories, the skeptical explanations, and the way one terrifying night eventually became part of Kentucky folklore.

Because sometimes the most fascinating part of a legend isn't deciding whether it's true.

It's understanding how the story survived.

Have a local legend, ghost story, or mysterious place I should explore? Submit your story at locallorediaries.com, you just might hear it featured in a future episode.

Follow Local Lore Diaries wherever you listen, and come take the scenic route with me.

Until next time, Lorekeepers… stay curious. Because every town has a story… and some stories are still being whispered.

There are stories every town keeps tucked away.

Welcome to Local Lore Diaries, hosted by Midwest storyteller Becca D. Join me each week as we explore haunted history, local legends, folklore, unexplained mysteries, strange creatures, and the stories hiding in small towns and backroads across America, with a special focus on the Midwest.

The podcast premieres Sunday, September 6.