The meteor of 1876 created quite a sensation when it streaked across the Midwest from west to east on the evening of Dec. 21. William White brought it to my attention. He lives south of Alvin about a mile, and it seems that area was ground zero for a piece of the visitor from space. The meteor was observed by passengers on an Illinois Central train near Macon, as it passed travelling in a northeasterly direction. One woman reported it seemed to burst before passing over the train. People in Lincoln noted houses shook, and the earth trembled, as it was viewed from their vantage point. It was said to have sounded like a train passing by, and there was an explosion as loud as that of a cannon. Read more