State of Indiana ~ Home of Hoosier Hospitality!
Indiana was the 19th state to be admitted to the USA; it became a state on:
December 11, 1816.
State Abbreviation - IN
State Capital - Indianapolis
Largest City - Indianapolis
Shiloh Realty Location - Fort Wayne
Area - 36,420 square miles [Indiana is the 38th biggest state in the USA]
Population - 6,080,485 (as of 2000) [Indiana is the 14th most populous state in the USA]
Major Industries - agriculture (corn, soybeans, wheat), manufacturing, mining (coal, limestone), steel-making
Major Rivers - Ohio River, Wabash River, White River, Tippecanoe River
Major Lakes - Mississinewa Lake, Lake Michigan
Highest Point - Hoosier Hill, Wayne County (near Richmond in east-central Indiana) - 1,257 feet (383 m) above sea level
Bordering States - Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio
Origin of the Name Indiana - Indiana is a word that was coined by Congress in 1800 which means, "the Land of the Indians"
State Nickname - Hoosier State
State Motto - "The Crossroads of America"
State Song - "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away," was composed by Paul Dresger in 1913; and is a favorite with Barbershop Quartets!
Indiana's state motto: "The Crossroads of America": means so much more than just Indiana's vast Highways and Railways! It's all about automobiles too! In 1920 Indiana's Duesenburg Motor Company produced its first production car and the first Studebaker automobiles were powered by electricity ~ visit the South Bend and Auburn Museums. 
As All Hoosiers and the World over knows: In Indiana: as for autos ~ The Faster The Better ~ this is atested to by the World Famous "Brickyard" in Indianapolis the Capital of Indiana and Home to Racing at it's Best: The Indy 500!
Indiana State Flag
The official state flag of Indiana was adopted in 1917. It was designed by Paul Hadley of Mooresville, Indiana; he won a flag design contest sponsored by the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) for Indiana's 100th anniversary of statehood in 1916. There are 19 golden stars on a blue field. The 13 stars in the outer circle represent the 13 original colonies of the United States of America; the 5 stars in a half circle represent the states admitted prior to Indiana (but after the original 13), and the largest star atop the flame of the Torch of Liberty and Enlightenment represents Indiana; and the Rays represent our Great State's Far Reaching Influence!
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Indiana State Seal |
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Versions of the pioneer scene have been used on Indiana seals since territorial days. They are found on official papers as early as 1801. Both the 1816 and 1851 Constitutions provided for a seal to be kept for "official purposes." The 1963 Indiana General Assembly gave legal sanction to the design and provided an official description:
"A perfect circle, two and five eighths inches in diameter, enclosed by a plain line. Another circle within the first, two and three eighths inches in diameter enclosed by a beaded line, leaving a margin of one quarter of an inch. In the top half of this margin are the words 'Seal of the State of Indiana.' |
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At the bottom center, 1816, flanked on either side by a diamond, with two dots and a leaf of the tulip tree [the state tree], at both ends of the diamond. The inner circle has two trees in the left background, three hills in the center background with nearly a full sun setting behind and between the first and second hill from the left.
There are fourteen rays from the sun, starting with two short ones on the left, the third being longer and then alternating, short and long. There are two sycamore trees on the right, the larger one being nearer the center and having a notch cut nearly halfway through, from the left side, a short distance above the ground. The woodsman is wearing a hat and holding his ax nearly perpendicular on his right. The ax blade is turned away from him and is even with his hat.
The buffalo is in the foreground, facing to the left of front. His tail is up, front feet on the ground with back feet in the air -- as he jumps over a log.
The ground has shoots of bluegrass, in the area of the buffalo and woodsman." |
Indiana Symbols
Indiana's State Tree: The Tulip Tree, known also as the Yellow Poplar, was adopted by the 1931 General Assembly. It attains great height and can be found throughout the state. The leaf is distinctive, and the lovely bell-shaped greenish-yellow flowers appear in May or June. The soft white wood has many uses.
Indiana's State flower: The Peony. It's foliage emerges in late spring, followed by hugh flower buds. Then the Peony waits, poised at the brink of performance, until the weather suits them to open into their full glory: spectacular and fragrant blooms unfold.
The State Bird of Indiana is the Northern Cardinal. It is a brilliant Red bird of the Finch Family with a short, wide bill. See Indiana's Cardinal in all Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter ~ perched on the feeder or resting in the snow ~ the Cardinal's magnificent color catches the eye and the heart ~ You just know:
You're Welcome Home!