Re: (erielack) What Depot

["Gary R. Kazin" <gkazin_@_yahoo.com>]

- --- On Wed, 12/22/10, Dale and Ev <gobills_@_ncweb.com> wrote:
> After the Uniform Time Act of 1966, all of Indiana was in
> Eastern Time zone except the northwest and southwest
> corners.  However, Indiana as a state does not observe
> Daylight Saving Time.  During the "summer" months, the
> entire state effectively moves to the Central Time zone.

This isn't relevant to the question of what station this is, but Indiana has further changed the time it observes and is likely to continue tinkering with the situation.

When Standard Time was first established in 1918, ALL of Indiana was in the CENTRAL Time Zone, which is where it belongs geographically.  The dividing line has moved progressively west, county by county, and now most of the state is in EASTERN Time.

The state legislature enacted several changes over the years, moving some counties east and generally banning Daylight Savings Time.  DST finally became 'local option' in 1961, legalizing what many towns were already doing.  Chaos reigned!

The 1966 Uniform Time Act made the US Department of Transportation the official authority over what time would be observed.  The next year, the Governor of Indiana asked to have the entire state moved back to Central.  In the next few years, DoT held hearings and put 12 counties in Central time, observing DST.  The rest of the state was in Eastern time, BUT did not observe DST - except that five counties near Louisville, KY, and Cincinnati, OH, decided to do so.  MORE CHAOS!

Many companies near Louisville and Cincinnati had two clocks on the wall in every office, one for local time and one for the nearby major city.  Their visitors were often confused by this situation (I was one of them, during the 1970's).

Finally, in 2005-2006, it was decided by the state and US DoT to move some counties into Central time AND to observe DST statewide.

In these changes, eight counties moved from Eastern to Central on April 2, 2006.  Five of these counties then moved BACK to Eastern on November 4, 2007.  Currently, 80 of Indiana's 92 counties observe EASTERN time, excepting only those closest to Chicago and to Evansville, IN.

ALL of Indiana now observes Daylight Saving Time.  Arizona, Hawaii, and some territories do NOT.  Then, in a situation reminiscent of Indiana, the Navajo Nation in Arizona DOES observe DST!


Indiana once had another peculiarity: the sales tax on gasoline was not included in the pump price.  Attendants would stop the pump at odd amounts, then the tax would be added and the total would miraculously come out to a full dollar.  The tax now IS included in the pump price, eliminating another source of confusion when out among the Hoosiers.

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey





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