Friday Fun Facts About Indiana

Read or Subscribe to all Tom Egelhoff’s Daily Blog Posts by Clicking Here

Since Indiana has been prominent in the news lately, I thought we might take a few minutes to learn more about the Hoosier State.

Indiana Is The Hoosier State

Why is it called “The Hoosier State?” No one really knows for sure but one theory is that a man named Hoosier had a large company and this employees became knows as Hoosiers.

Another theory, that most think is a myth, is that the word “Hoosier” sounds like “Who’s Your…” As in “Who’s your daddy?” — A type of accent in that part of the world at the time.

More Fun Facts About Indiana

• Indiana’s motto is, “Cross Roads of America.” Why? Because it has more Interstate highway per square mile than any other state. More major highways intersect in Indiana than any other state.
• You might want to rethink boycotting Indiana since the state makes automobile parts, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, trucks and bus bodies, aircraft engines, farm machinery, and structural steel.
• It is a national leader in building limestone, also coal, crushed stone, cement, sand and gravel. And corn, soybeans and other ag products.
• No alcohol can be sold in Indiana on Sunday except in restaurants.
• Ray Harroun, who got $14,000 for his top speed of 74.59 miles per hour on May 30, 1911, won the first Indy 500 Auto Race. The Indy 500 is the largest single day sporting event in the world.
• John Mellancamp, singer/songwriter, was born in Seymour, Indiana and resides in Bloomington, Indiana. Vivica A. Fox, James Dean, Steve McQueen, Shelly Long, Carole Lombard, Carl Malden, Sydney Pollack, Florence Henderson, are all notable actors from Indiana.
• Indianapolis resident, Marcella Gruelle, invented The Raggedy Ann Doll in 1914.
• Would Orville Redenbacher live anywhere else but the largest popcorn producing state in the union? He’s from Brazil, Indiana.
• Basketball legends Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird are both from Indiana.
• Elvis Presley played his last concert in Indiana before his death 3 months later.
• Illinois might be known as the “Land of Lincoln” but Lincoln was actually born in Kentucky, moved to Spencer County Indiana when he was 7, then back to Illinois around the time he became an adult.
• Orville and Wilbur Wright are both from Indiana.

Some Final Thoughts

Every state has its good points. Every state has a history that should be preserved. I’m not sure Indiana deserves all the negative publicity they are getting.

In spite of the Constitution we are not always successful in “forming a more perfect union.”

Not sure we’ll ever get that done but the fact remains that we are all one people and one country. So be proud of your state wherever it is — you’re family.

Read or Subscribe to all Tom Egelhoff’s Daily Blog Posts by Clicking Here