Covering America Indiana

This week’s block is Indiana

Here’s some info about the Hoosier state

Entered Union (rank): Dec. 11, 1816 (19)

Although Indiana means, “Land of the Indians” there are fewer than 8,000 Native Americans living in the state today.

The first long-distance auto race in the U.S. was held May 30, 1911, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner averaged 75 miles an hour and won a 1st place prize of $14,000. Today the average speed is over 167 miles an hour and the prize is more than $1.2 million. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the site of the greatest spectacle in sports, the Indianapolis 500. The Indianapolis 500 is held every Memorial Day weekend in the Hoosier capital city. The race is 200 laps or 500 miles long.

Deep below the earth in Southern Indiana is a sea of limestone that is one of the richest deposits of top-quality limestone found anywhere on earth. New York City’s Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center as well as the Pentagon, the U.S. Treasury, a dozen other government buildings in Washington D.C. as well as 14 state capitols around the nation are built from this sturdy, beautiful Indiana limestone.

Most of the state’s rivers flow south and west, eventually emptying into the Mississippi. However, the Maumee flows north and east into Lake Erie. Lake Wawasee is the states largest natural lake.

At one time Studebaker Company of South Bend was the nation’s largest producer of horse-drawn wagons. It later developed into a multimillion-dollar automobilemanufacturer.

ChristmastownIf you are traveling through the state near the end of the year make sure to stop off at Santa Claus, Indiana. This holiday-appropriate city receives nearly a million letters and personal requests during the holiday season.

Raggedy Ann was also born in Indiana! In 1914, the doll was created by Marcella Gruelle

Milk PoliceSome states outlaw and restrict alcohol, but Indiana places all the negative emphasis on milk. If you see a gallon sitting in the cooler at the liquor store it could be a police sting, since it is illegal to purchase milk from a liquor store in this state.

Hairy LoveWe know you love to kiss everyone you walk by. The urge is just uncontrollable. We understand. Unfortunately, the Indiana police department may not understand if your face happens to have hair. It is illegal for habitual kissers to keep a mustache. Make sure to shave before you pucker up in this state.

EwwwWhat’s that smell? If you think there’s something fishy in Indiana, you must be visiting between the months of October and March. It is technically illegal to take a bath during these months. Read on for more whacky facts about Indiana!

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