LAWRENCE CO. – A total solar eclipse made Monday memorable for millions of Americans, including those in Lawrence County.
An estimated total of visitors was between 5,000 and 7,500 in just a few locations.
“Those estimated totals are for the Lawrence County Fairgrounds, Spring Mill State Park, the Cities of Bedford and Mitchell city parks, and the Gus Grissom Boyhood home,” said Tonya Chastain, executive director of the Lawrence County Tourism Commission told the commissioners on Tuesday morning.
The eclipse had a positive impact on Lawrence County.
“It was a win-win for the county,” Chastain added. “We welcomed visitors from 35 states to the county, and Canada at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds. Spring Mill had more than 2,200 people at the park, and the campgrounds were full on Sundays and Mondays. More than 400 people attended events at the city parks in Bedford and Mitchell, and there were more than 50 people at the Gus Grissom Boyhood Home.”
Before the eclipse, the Indiana Department of Transportation, Emergency Management, and Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department urged people to arrive early, stay put, and leave late.
Valerie Luchauer, Director of the Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency, and other local officials spent the last year planning to handle any situation within the county during the eclipse.
“The day tended to go quite smoothly. We did not have any traffic congestion or issues leading up to the eclipse or post-eclipse,” Luchauer said. “It was a very peaceful event, which is what we strived for. There were no issues.”
Phil Inman with the Bedford Parks Department reported meeting people from Utah, California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
“That was just a few of the states,” he added. Afterward, when we were removing the barricade and accessing the area, it was amazing that there was no trash. There was none on the ground anywhere.”
