More Cardiff Giants Please

Sara and I took my parents and her parents to Cooperstown for the day yesterday. It was relaxing and fun. My Dad and my Father-in-law went to the Farmers' Museum, but unfortunately weren't able to see the Cardiff Giant. If you don't know what that is, let me quote from part of the roadsideamerica.com description:

"The Cardiff Giant was conceived by George Hull, a cigar manufacturer and atheist, after he'd spent an evening arguing with a fundamentalist minister. Hull remembered Genesis 6:4 and its reference to "giants in the earth" and wondered if people like the minister could be convinced that a large, stone statue found in the ground was actually a "petrified giant." He decided to find out."

Needless to say, the magnificent Mr. Hull made a fake and buried it. When it was discovered, most people realized it was a fake, but Christian fundamentalists defended it zealously. This all happened in 1868 and 1869.

"After years of haggling, the New York Historical Association bought the giant for $30,000 and brought it to Cooperstown, where it has resided at the Farmers Museum ... ever since."

You can bet we'll be going back some other time to see this wonder of 19th century reason.