26 Mar Indiana’s Solar Eclipse History
It’s been a minute or two since Indiana has experienced a total solar eclipse…like 155 years!
The last total solar eclipse in our area of Indiana was on August 7, 1869. The pathway for this event included the towns of Bloomington, Greencastle, Terre Haute…and Plainfield, Indiana. As seen in the map to the left (provided by the Holcomb Observatory at Butler University), the 1869 eclipse’s path of totality covered the south central and south western part of the state. The “Indianapolis Journal” newspaper recorded the event on April 9, 1896, with news from around the state. We’ve included what Vincennes, Indiana had to say. (right)
Sixty-three years earlier, on June 16, 1806, the northern third of Indiana experienced a total solar eclipse. Indiana was yet to be a state, but reports of the eclipse did make the papers along the East coast. We’ve included articles from the Gettysburg (PA) Centinel (June 25, 1806) and the Richmond (VA) Enquirer (June 17, 1806).
Get your eclipse glasses ready as you experience this remarkable piece of Indiana’s history!
