Mad Gasser of Mattoon Presentation at Eastern Illinois University

The “Mad Gasser of Mattoon” was a series of strange events in Mattoon, Illinois during World War 2 involving “gas attacks” on unassuming homeowners in this small Midwestern town. It’s generally written off as a case of mass hysteria, but physical symptoms exhibited by the victims seem to suggest otherwise. To this day, no one really knows who or what caused the attacks.

On October 24, 2013, I explored the facts and the fiction behind this tale at a presentation Coles County legends and lore at MLK Student Union. So many people showed up we actually had to move to a larger room. After many years writing about these stories, giving this presentation at my alma mater was a wonderful opportunity.