Eclipse brings viewers from around the country

By Phil Cobb | August 21, 2017 |

By PHIL COBB Publisher
A small group of members and guests gathered Monday at Maryville Country Club to have lunch and observe The Great American Eclipse. Although clouds partially obstructed the view at times, those present were able to see the eclipse throughout near totality. The most audible expressions of awe came when the moon passed directly over the sun, cooling temperatures and dramatically darkening the sky.

For several months, residents of northwestern Missouri have heard their fill and more about the Great American Eclipse.

The path of totality for the celestial event was scheduled to pass over parts of Missouri between 1:05 and 1:10 p.m. Monday afternoon, with Maryville proper sitting just outside of the path of totality.

Hotel rooms in Maryville had been booked since the spring, with people coming from places like Texas, Minnesota, California, and even Israel and the United Kingdom. But conflicting weather patterns predicted some cloud cover for northwestern Missouri, which ended up being an unfortunately correct prediction.

U.S. Highway 71 was littered with cars pulled off onto side streets and parked at businesses lining the highway to catch a view of the eclipse. The commuter parking lot at the intersection of 71 and Missouri Route A was a popular destination as well, with close to 50 people sitting throughout the lot to see what was projected to be around 20 seconds of totality.

Among the people in the lot were visitors from out of the state. David Lane and his wife came from Meigs, Georgia to stay with some friends and see the eclipse right along its path in northwestern Missouri, and despite the cloud cover, he said they got a good view.

“We love driving and seeing farmland, and we got here with relatively little traffic,” Meigs commented. “Even though there was cloud cover for the eclipse, it was still good to visit the area. Plus, I was in Lake City, Florida for the eclipse in 1969 and I saw it hit totality that time.”

John Goraczkowski and his family also traveled quite a distance to get to northwestern Missouri for the event, driving 600 miles from International Falls, Minnesota. And like Lane, Goraczkowski was in the path of an eclipse before.

“I saw a partial eclipse about 20 years ago when I lived in Albia, Iowa,” Goraczkowski said. “Even if there were clouds covering it up, it was worth the trip. Plus, we were in Iowa for business anyway, so it fit to do a little detour down this way.”

John and Cindy Schildberg, members of the Schildberg family in Graham, came to visit friends in Maryville and see the eclipse from Greenfield, Iowa. For the Schildbergs, the distance traveled was worth it to see the eclipse and their friends.

“We know people and we know the area pretty well,” Schildberg said. “When (the Ehlers) told us that they were going to go to Pumpkin Center, I knew exactly where that was.

“We had friends and family visiting from Virginia and California, and they were going to come with us, but they decided against it, so we couldn’t stay too long. But we’re glad we got to come.”

Schildberg had also been in the path of totality for the eclipse in 1969, which he said he saw through a pinhole projector.

Of course, while in Maryville, the visitors found themselves at least partially interested in what happens around town. While Goraczkowski and his family decided to stop into one of Maryville’s eateries, Lane wanted to make sure he voiced his opinion on one of Maryville’s most contentious issues.

“The silo (at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park) is a beautiful piece of architecture, and I think it should stay,” Lane said. “There are a lot of things they can do to make it useful, like put in some stairs and a viewing area for visitors.”

TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
A group of people viewing the eclipse in the commuter parking lot at Missouri Route A and U.S. Route 71 south of Maryville gaze at the sky. The path of totality of The Great American Eclipse passed directly over the area for a few seconds, but the actual eclipse was covered by heavy clouds in some areas.

TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
Around 50 people gathered Monday at the commuter parking lot near Pumpkin Center near the intersection of Missouri Route A and U.S. Highway 71 to view the Great American Solar Eclipse. Those present came from throughout the region, as well as from several other states, including Minnesota, Georgia, and California.