INDIANA TRIVIA
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.
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 (& Riley Hospital for Children) 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.
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.
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 in
Posey County, Indiana.
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.
Red Skelton was born in Vincennes,
Indiana.
May 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
Toni Tenille (of The Captain and
Tenille) is from Indiana.
Oprah Winfrey built her residence in
N/W Indiana.
Florence Henderson is from Indiana.
John Mellancamp is a Hoosier and
resides in Bloomington.
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.
Pretty neat, huh? And you thought
there was only corn in Indiana.
(Contributed by Christi Scovel)