The 1860s saw one of the greatest archaeological hoaxes in American history, starting with a great “discovery” on October 16, 1869. It came at a perfect time. People had a fascination with curiosities, oddities, scientific discoveries, religious revivalism, spectacle, and hoaxes.
This curiosity was the brainchild of George Hull, who shook the sleepy community of Cardiff, New York. The petrified giant man measured over ten feet in length, weighed just under 3,000 pounds, and was discovered by a crew of men digging a well for William C. “Stub” Newell on his property. It did not take long for the word of a petrified giant unearthed to sweep like a firestorm throughout New York and beyond.
Newell immediately organized his efforts to safeguard the giant on his property and make the most of the discovery financially. He initially charged twenty-five cents a head (about $6 in 2026) to see the giant, but, perhaps due to demand, he raised the price two days later to fifty cents a head (about $12 in 2026). The pricing did not deter curious onlookers who desperately wanted to see what was being touted as a Biblical giant by some news sources.
Right away, some believed the discovery was the remains of a once-living human, while others thought it was a giant statue, perhaps a graven image of a god or heroic figure.
Whatever people said or news sources published, it was obvious the public was enamored and wanted to see the giant for themselves.
What was the truth? George Hull was inspired to create the stone giant after a heated discussion with a Reverend – typically sourced as Reverend Turk – of the Methodist faith. The Reverend argued that the Bible was to be taken literally, and that Genesis 6:4, which reads, “There were giants in the earth in those days…” meant that literal giants walked the earth.
Hull, an atheist and skeptic, felt the Bible was less literal and more subjective. Hull decided he was going to make a stone giant, bury it to be found, and allow the imaginations of the public to tout the giant as a realization of the Biblical passage, while quietly mocking those who believed and making money off not only them but people from any and all faiths.
Hull’s work certainly paid off. From a $2,600 investment (about $63,800 in 2026), he made over $30,000 (about $736,5000 in 2026) for a 75% interest (though some sources say it was around $23,000) when a syndicate paid Hull for the giant so it could be moved to Syracuse, New York, where it would garner greater publicity and financial promise. The Cardiff Giant went on display at the Bastable Block/Theater in Syracuse.
The move to Syracuse came with greater publicity and scrutiny. Othniel C. Marsh, a renowned paleontologist at Yale, took the time to review this miraculous find. He went on record as saying it was “a most decided humbug” and pointed out obvious mistakes in the craftsmanship, such as visible chisel marks. Marsh and other experts explained that gypsum is soft and water-soluble. If the statue had actually been buried in the wet, acidic ground of western New York for that long, it would deteriorated a lot.
This public outing by Marsh spurred the debate further. Some agreed with Marsh’s conclusion. Others swore the Cardiff Giant was authentic.
In the middle of this, showman P.T. Barnum was not one to be left out of a good thing, and he made an offer to those who bought the Cardiff Giant from Hull. According to contemporary/later accounts, Barnum offered as much as $60,000 (Over $1.4M in 2026) for just a 3-month lease of the giant. The syndicate, headed by David Hannum, refused Barnum’s offer.
For one reason or another, Barnum commissioned an artist to build an exact replica of the Cardiff Giant, erected the replica in his museum in New York City, and immediately claimed that the Cardiff Giant in Syracuse was a fake, while his was the “real” Cardiff Giant.
Barnum’s claims appeared in the newspapers, and Hannum supposedly said of those paying to see Barnum’s copy, “there’s a sucker born every minute.” This famous quote is often misattributed to Barnum. Though, it’s not entirely clear if Hannum actually said it, either.
Either way, Hannum was not going to back down from a major investment or let Barnum steal the profitable thunder. So, Hannum sought an injunction against Barnum’s competing exhibition.
Seeing the fanned flames of two men embroiled in a legal battle over whose giant was the real Cardiff giant, George Hull came out to the press on December 10, 1869. So, both giants were fake.
The details of plot to mock and profit from Biblical literalists came to light. He ordered a massive block of gypsum from Fort Dodge, Iowa, and under the guise that it was to be used as a monument to Abraham Lincoln. Once in Chicago, Hull hired German stonecutter Edward Burghardt and stonecutters working with him to create the Cardiff Giant. What incentive Hull offered Burghardt for his vow of secrecy was not reported. They used a mixture of acids and toxic fluids to create the weathered look on the stone and random staining. The surface of the gypsum was beaten with needles on a paddle to create the porous look for the supposed petrified skin.
Once completed, Hull had the giant transported by train to his cousin’s farm. That cousin was William C. Newell, the same one who needed that well dug. They left the giant buried for nearly a year and waited for the perfect opportunity for “discovery,” even though it was deliberately staged.
A profitable venture for all included in this tale of one of North America’s most interesting hoaxes. The giant remains on display in the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, New York. While the rabid interest of the Cardiff Giant has waned over the years, its appeal as a hoax remains a curiosity to those seeking the bizarre and weird in the world.