October 1, 1880

A supposed fossilized baby, which was later revealed to be a carved stone statue, was dug up in Eureka Springs (Carroll County) by a cohort of Henry Johnson. Johnson was a Scottsville (Pope County) merchant who closely modeled his deception on the nationally famous Cardiff Giant. The 1880 discovery was not revealed as a hoax until 1948. The find was exhibited locally and then around the state, generating money for its creators. Within a year, the carving—known variously as the “Eureka Baby,” the “Petrified Indian Baby,” or as a Hindu idol—had been exhibited in St. Louis, Missouri; Galveston, Texas; and New Orleans, Louisiana. It was also reportedly en route to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC at the time of its disappearance.