This is how the story goes: Its 1966, and 6-year-old Thomas Reed is in his bedroom on his familys horse farm in the Berkshires when the encounters begin. Suddenly, hes in the woods near his home looking at a UFO. The following year, there is another incident. Two years later, the family is driving on Route 7 when they see strange lights in the sky. Thomas and his brother and mother and grandmother find themselves in a giant room. Next thing, hes back near the car. Reed has told these stories many times, and it has not always gone well. But recently, his tale had found recognition in an unlikely place. The Great Barrington Historical Society & Museum has formally inducted the UFO story. We believe it is true, said Debbie Oppermann, the director of the society. I know were going to get a lot of backlash. But ... based on the evidence weve been given, we believe this is a significant and true event. The historical society believes it is the first time a mainstream historical society or museum in the United States has declared a UFO encounter to be historical fact. What most interests the historical society is the 1969 encounter, because dozens of people in the area reported seeing an unidentified flying object around that time. Many of those eyewitnesses called the local radio station, WSBS, which covered the sightings. The radio station has provided documentation to the historical society, which interviewed one of those eyewitnesses.