General Information, Facts & Symbols

The United States of America accepted Indiana as the 19th state to enter the union on December 11, 1816.

Abbreviation:
IN

Capital of Indiana State:
Indianapolis

Primary Agriculture:
Indiana’s primary agricultural crops are soybeans, ranked 4th int the nation and corn, currently the 5th largest producer in the nation. In addition, Indians currently ranks 5th in the nation with hogs as its primary livestock.

Primary Industry:
Indiana ranks 8th in the nation for coal production, totaling 34 million tons. 95% of this total was obtained through surface mining methods. Indiana also ranks 3rd in the nation in manufactured hardwood forest products.

Indiana State Nickname:
The Hoosier State

Indiana State Motto:
The Crossroads of America

Indiana State Flower:
Peony (Paeonia)

Indiana State Tree:
The Tulip Tree (Legislation of 1931)

<Indiana State Bird:
Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a member of the North America cardinal family.

Males of the species are a bright, deep red with black faces and coral-red beaks. Females of the species are a fawn or light brown color, with mostly grayish-brown tones and a slight reddish tint in their wings and tail feathers, also with a bright coral-red beak. Both have prominent raised crests and strong beaks. Young birds are the colored like the adult females until they molt and grow their adult feathers in the fall.

Indiana State Gemstone:
Salem Limestone

The Official Indiana State Seal
Depicted is the state seal of Indiana. The seal of the state of Indiana is a symbol of the authority and sovereignty of the state and is a valuable asset of its people. It is the intent of the state government to ensure that appropriate uses are made of the state seal and to assist the secretary of state in the performance of the secretary’s constitutional duty as custodian of the seal.

The Official Indiana State Flag
Depicted above is the state flag of Indiana. The flag of the state of Indiana is a symbol of the authority and sovereignty of the state and is a valuable asset of its people. The Indiana flag is flown over all state buildings just below the country flag of the United States of America.

Indiana State Quarter
The Indiana quarter, the fourth quarter of 2002 and nineteenth in the 50 State Quarters® Program, represents the state pride in the famous Indianapolis 500 race. The design features the image of a racecar superimposed on an outline of the state with the inscription “Crossroads of America.” The design also includes 19 stars signifying Indiana as the 19th state admitted into the Union.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5 mile track built in 1909 for automotive research purposes. While the track was and is used for research, it is best known for hosting auto races, most famously, the Indy 500. The oldest auto race in the world, the Indy 500 has been run every year since 1911, except during the two World Wars. The winner of the first Indy 500 was Ray Harroun whose car, the Marmon Wasp, is thought to have been the first to have a single seat and to use a rearview mirror. In the time since Harroun’s victory, the Indy 500 has become an international event, synonymous with auto racing.

Quarter Specifications
Release Date: August 2, 2002
Reverse (tails) Side: Crossroads of America
Engraver: Donna Weaver
Standard Weight: 5.670g
Standard Diameter: 24.26mm (0.955 in)
Thickness: 1.75 mm
Edge Detail: Reeded
Composition: Cupro-Nickel Clad
(8.33% Nickel / 91.67% Copper)

Indiana Historic Figures

Thomas Riley Marshall - Former Vice President of the United States
1854-1925: Born in North Manchester, Indiana. He was a lawyer in Columbia City, Indiana and the Democratic governor of the state from 1909 to 1913. He was the sponsor of labor and social legislation before becoming Vice President to Woodrow Wilson in 1913 and serving until 1921. His most notable quote was “What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar”.

James Danforth Quayle - Former Vice President of the United States
1947-Present: Born in Indianapolis. James graduated from DePauw University in 1969 and served in the Indiana National Guard from 1969 to 1975. He was the son of an important Indiana publishing family and graduated from Indiana University in 1974. In 1976 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a conservative Republican. In 1980 he was elected to the Senate, defeating three-term incumbent Birch Bayh, and was reelected in 1986. In 1989 he was elected to the office of Vice President of the United States and served until 1993.

General Indiana State History

The land which has become the state of Indiana, was once occupied by paleoindians 10-12 thousand years ago. Historic American Indian tribes also lived on this land, inspiring the state’s name - Indiana, the land of Indians.

Settlers from the British colonies on the American east coast began migrating west in the mid 1700s, seeking farmland. The American Revolution and the formation of the United States of America brought more demand for the lands of the west.

Early Indiana settlers had a great concern to preserve religious freedom, and many denominations have been cultivated here and contribute much to the makeup of Indiana life. Today, over 7000 churches can be identified serving about half of the current population.

Residents from even all walks of life have preserved their history and traditions through museums, libraries, archives, and publications. There are currently over 370 museums in Indiana which focus on a variety of subjects. There are more than 2,900 libraries throughout the schools, public, academic, institutional, and specialized. In the early twentieth century, Indiana received more Carnegie Libraries than any other state, totaling 164.

Indiana has also had it’s share of successful writers. Studies have determined that the best-selling fiction by Indiana authors is ranked second only to New York authors in the period of 1895 to 1965.

Indiana’s natural heritage has benefited from private and public attention over the years. In 1916, Indiana began its state park system under Richard Lieber, who became a leader in the national conservation movement. Indiana has 12 state forests, 9 reservoirs, 151 nature preserves, and 18 fish and wildlife areas to preserve its natural heritage. Private organizations help to preserve many natural areas in Indiana. There are 4 national areas designated for their special importance. Such areas are also important for recreation for Hoosiers and tourists.

Back to Locations

Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States, and is part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area. The city is the county seat of Madison County. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 59,734. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson) and home of Anderson University, which is affiliated with that denomination. Highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenwald Home.

According to some historians, the city is named for Chief William Anderson, whose mother was a Delaware Indian (Lenape) and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson’s Indian name was Kikthawenund (spelled in a variety of ways) meaning “making a noise” or “causing to crack.” Others attribute the town name to architect and planner Adam E. Anderson, an early settler from Chillicothe, OH who laid out and built on the first two streets in town.

Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (129,000 m²) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat would be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.

Introduction of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December, 1838, Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the beginning of 1839, but work on the canal was soon suspended by the state following the Panic of 1837. The town again became a sleepy village until 1849 when it was incorporated a second time as a town. Many new commercial ventures located around the Courthouse Square.

This incorporation was short-lived and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population was nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city.

Between 1853 and the late 1800s, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana Gas Boom began, this discovery lef new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city “The Pittsburgh on White River.” Other appellations were “Queen City of the Gas Belt” and (because of the vulcanizing and the rubber tire manufacturing business) “Puncture Proof City.”

In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term “Interurban” in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941.

The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out, and several factories moved out. The whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present chamber of commerce. This club persuaded the Remy brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide) were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country’s largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations.

The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and then to Anderson University in 1988.

Over the years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in Anderson with the Lambert family among the city’s leaders in its development and Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many other inventions were perfected in Anderson including: the gas regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P. Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), Irish Mail (Hugh Hill), flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift (Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing process to retreads tires (Charles E. Miller). Recently, Anderson was named “Most Toxic City in Indiana” by The Sierra Club after a chemical spill killed thousands of fish in the White River.

Notable citizens
Jermaine Allensworth, athlete
Lowell Amos, convicted “Black Widower” murderer.
Melvin E. Biddle, World War II Medal of Honor recipient
James Davis, politician, Secretary of Labor
Winfield Durbin, politician, former Governor of Indiana
Carl Erskine, Brooklyn Dodger pitcher, 1948 - 1960
Mike Kovaleski, Notre Dame
Charles L. Henry, politician, congressman, coiner of the term “interurban”
Orville Hodge, embezzler
James Kilgore, Symbionese Liberation Army member
John William Lambert, inventor of first successful U.S. gasoline automobile
Adam Lind, athlete
Mack Mattingly, politician, Georgia Senator
Larry Savage Jr 2 time state champ pitcher / coach
Jon McLaughlin, singer
Phill Niblock, composer and filmmaker
Sandi Patty, singer
James Rebhorn, actor
Kris Roe (The Ataris), singer
Krystal Harris, Singer
Fred Mustard Stewart, author
Max Terhune, actor
Ray Tolbert, athlete
Albert Vestal, Majority Whip of the House of Representatives
Louis J. Weichmann
Bobby Wilkerson, athlete
“Jumping Johnny Wilson”

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