The legend of the "wild west" grew quickly, and the possibilities of the frontier allowed people in the west to press outrageous stories that were reported happily as fact in the East, which was ready to believe just about anything could happen in that uncivilized land.
On November 13, 1833 the night became as bright as daylight, the heavens fell, and people feared that it was the end of times. The event was so dramatic that it sparked both a new religion and a new science.