Back in Feb 1979, when I was in school, we had a total eclipse nearby here. I remember the teacher had us poke a hole in a piece of construction paper, and aim it at the Sun during the eclipse. And had us lay a piece of paper flat behind it. You could watch the shadow of the moon on that flat paper slowly cover part of the Sun. No eclipse glasses back then, at least not for us. Got about as dark as when a strong storm complex moves in, and the street lights come on.
Here's the path of that eclipse from NASA files.
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhistory/SEplot/SE1979Feb26T.pdf
Jan of 1925 was the last time a total eclipse went over the Great Lakes. Started right over N MN.
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhistory/SEplot/SE1925Jan24T.pdf