With all of this year’s holidays being cancelled or likely to be cancelled people are looking to next year when (hopefully) we’ll be able to get out and about properly again. Talking to Roy about where we’d like to go we somehow ended up talking about random places we’d seen on TV but knew about in real life. Does anyone remember Eerie, Indiana? Looking up the real Indiana we found that it was less weird and much more interesting than expected.
There are 50 states in the U.S, each possessing their own unique history and geography. However, some states are more well known than others. Everyone seems to know about the big states like New York, Florida, and California, but many people know next to nothing about states like Indiana. These people are missing out, because these lesser-known states have some great features and some extremely interesting facts and places. So what are some of these fun tidbits of information about the Hoosier state? Here are five cool facts about Indiana.
Santa Claus
The story about the mythical entity that is loosely based on St. Nicholas is quite well known in America. Of course, we’re talking about Santa Claus. What many people don’t realize however is that there is actually a town named Santa Claus in Indiana. In 1856, the town of Sante Fe, Indiana changed its name to Santa Claus in order to distinguish themselves from another town. That small change has had big repercussions on the town, as many of the local businesses have Christmas themed names or actually are related to Christmas. In addition, thousands of Christmas letters from eager children flood the town each year as children try to get in touch with the man in red himself.
Love of Basketball
One of the most popular sports in Indiana is basketball, something that can be reflected in the high school basketball scene. People from all around the state get involved in the high school basketball scene, dubbing it “Hoosier Hysteria”. One of the most famous high school sports upsets ever occurred in Indiana high school basketball, eventually being turned into the movie “Hoosiers”. Although basketball was founded in Massachusetts, the inventor of basketball, James Naismith, stated that Indiana was the centre of the sport. High school basketball fandom is like a cult in Indiana, so if you’re looking for Indianapolis houses for sale, prepare for some rabid fans.
5 Cool Facts about Indiana: Founding History
The name Indiana is a direct reference to the indigenous people that originally inhabited the land. Indiana literally translates to “Land of the Indians”, a direct reference to its original settlers. The region was initially settled by European settlers as reparation for frequent raids in the area. Raids from Native Americans killed settlers and damaged important goods, causing settlers to seek repayment. When approached by the settlers, the Native Americans took the blame and gave the land away as reparation for their past acts. The newly acquired land was renamed to reflect this and later became a state a few years in the future.
Hoosiers
If you’ve ever heard anything about Indiana, then you’ve probably heard of the word Hoosier before. People from the area call themselves Hoosiers and the state of Indiana is known as the Hoosier state. The mascot for Indiana University is also a Hoosier as well. The strange thing is, no one really knows what a Hoosier is, even people from Indiana. The term appeared in the early 1800s around the state, but no one has been able to pinpoint an exact origin or meaning. Despite the mystery behind the word, it still has some major significance in the state.
5 Cool Facts about Indiana: Famous Indianans
You might not think that many famous people were born in a small midwestern state, but many famous musicians, actors, and politicians have called Indiana home. The entire Jackson 5, including Michael and Janet, were born in the state of Indiana. Legendary late-night host David Letterman was also born in the Hoosier state as well. When it comes to politics, this area is relatively important to the current U.S administration as Vice President Mike Pence calls the state home.
Is Indiana on our “Must See List”? I’m not sure, but it is definitely more interesting than I would have ever expected it to be.
