Friday, February 27, 2009

Indiana Facts

Tomato juice was first served at a French Lick, Indiana, hotel in 1925.

The first tomato juice factory was also in French Lick, IN.

The world's largest orchid species collection is found at Ball State University in Muncie , Indiana.

The first regulated speed limit (20 - 25 mph!) was initiated on Indiana Roads in 1921.

The steepest railroad grade in the world is in Madison, Indiana.

An average of 400 funnel clouds are sighted each year in Indiana.

The city of Gary, Indiana, was built on fill brought from the bottom of Lake Michigan through suction pipes.

There are only two Adams fireplaces in the United States. One is in the White House and the other in the Diner Home in Indiana.

Josie Orr, wife of former Indiana Governor Robert Orr, flew bombers and Cargo planes during World War II.

The Indianapolis Methodist Hospital is the largest Hospital in the Midwest.

One of the first complete bathrooms in Indianapolis was in the home of Hoosier poet, James Whitcomb Riley.

The career of Dorothy Lamour (famous for the Bing Crosby-Bob Hope Road Movies) was launched in Indianapolis.

Aviatrix Amelia Earhart was once a Professor at Purdue University. (Go Boilers!!)

Crown Hill Cemetery (Indianapolis) is the largest cemetery in the U.S.

The library in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, houses one of the Largest genealogy libraries in America.

Wabash, Indiana, was the first electrified city in the U.S.

Pendleton, Indiana, was the site of the first hanging of a white man for Killing Indians.

The Courthouse roof in Greensburg , Indiana, has a tree growing from it.

The world's first transistor radio was made in Indianapolis.

Clark Gable and wife Carole Lombard (born in Fort Wayne, IN) honeymooned At Lake Barbee near Warsaw, Indiana.

The American Beauty Rose was developed at Richmond, Indiana.

Elkhart, Indiana, is the band instrument capitol of the World.

Frank Sinatra first sang with the Tommy Dorsey band at the Lyric Theater In Indianapolis.

Purdue Alumnus, Earl Butz, served as the Secretary of Agriculture. (Go Boilers!!)

U.S. 231 is the longest highway in Indiana (231miles).

Johnny Appleseed is buried at Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The singing McGuire Sisters spent their childhood summers at the Church Of God Campground in Anderson, Indiana.

The main station of the Underground Railroad was in Fountain County, Indiana.

There are 154 acres of sculpture gardens and trails at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

La Porte County is the only county in America having 2 functioning Courthouses. (I think we can add Vanderburgh and Elkhart Counties in with that also)

Nancy Hanks Lincoln is buried at the Lincoln National Boyhood Memorial which is in Spencer County.

Crawfordsville , Indiana ( Montgomery County ) is the only site in the World where crinoids are found. (What is a Crinoid, you ask? A form of deep-water marine life that looks something Like a starfish.)

Pendleton, Indiana, was the site of the 'Fall Creek Massacre'. A museum Housing 3500 artifacts of pioneer Heritage now exists on that site.

St. Meinrad Archabbey is located in Spencer County and is one of only 2 Archabbeys in the U.S. And seven in the World. (Abbey Press is an operation of the archabbey.)

A Buzz Bomb (German - WWII), believed to be the only one on public Display in the nation, can be found on the Putnam County Courthouse lawn in Greencastle.

Roberta Turpin Willett was born in Indiana.

James Dean was born and is buried in Indiana.

The world's tallest woman lived in Indiana.

Red Skelton was born in Vincennes, Indiana.

Mae West and Claude Akins were from Bedford , Indiana.

The inventor of the television, Philo T. Farnsworth, lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Forrest Tucker was from Pendleton, Indiana.

You can't ship wine to Indiana. (So how does it get here?)

Bob Greise is from Evansville, Indiana and was quarterback at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. (Go Boilers!!)

Oprah Winfrey built her residence in northwest Indiana.

Florence Henderson is from Indiana.

The much sought-after Hoosier Cabinets are an Indiana product.

90% of the world's popcorn is grown in Indiana.

The Jackson Five are from Gary, Indiana.

The birthplace of the automobile, the pneumatic rubber tire, The aluminum casting process, stainless steel and the first Push-button car radio was in Kokomo, Indiana.

Frank Borman, NASA Astronaut, born in Gary, Indiana

Pretty neat, huh? And you thought there Was only corn in Indiana

What I did know is:
South Bend is North,
North Vernon is South,
And French Lick isn't what you think it

Celebrities that live in Indiana

  • Scott Skiles of Plymouth, IN
    Played on the Plymouth High School basketball team when they won the entire state game. At this time Indiana had only one winner for the entire state.
  • Noble Kizer of Plymouth, IN
  • Richard Bergman of Plymouth, IN
  • David Letterman of Indianapolis, IN
  • Michael Jackson of Gary, IN
  • Oprah Winfrey also lives with in the cornfields of Indiana.


  • The Wizard of OZ

    The location was the Hoosier community of Ozcot at the Wizard of Oz Lodge located on the shores of Bass Lake Indiana

    Toto, Indiana, does that ring a bell? Yes the dog in Wizard of OZ. Toto Indiana is a town very close to Bass Lake Indiana where the story Wizard of OZ was either completely or partially written. I may be wrong on this, but in case anyone else has wondered where L. Frank Baum got the name for Toto, the dog in the book, I have a possible solution. L. Frank Baum lived in Chicago and summered in Koontz Lake, Indiana - or near there. Not too far away - on the railroad- is the town of Toto, Indiana, begun in the 1850's. I can't remember why it is named that. I think he named the dog after the town. BTW, Toto is still there. It is a small town with not too much in it. It has a variety store that has very good prices and according to my husband, a restaurant with awesome Italian beef sandwiches. My family has been going there occasionally for bargains since the 1950's.


  • Also Bill Gaither He is the largest, most popular Christain music promotor in the world. He has written more Christan songs than any one else. He also has a TV show. Bill lives in a very small town, called Alexandria, Indiana. Population around 400.

    My wife and I went to eat at a resturant in Anderson Indiana. Anderson is about 20 miles from Alexandria, Indiana. I saw this guy leaving and mistaked him for someone else I knew from Anderson, so I went up to this man and asked him if he was the person I knew. He said no.... I went back in side and a customer asked me did I know who I was talking to? I said no,, they said that man was Bill Gaither. Wonder how Bill Gaither felt?