The State of Indiana

THE STATE NAME:

Indiana was the name given to the Indiana Territory by the United States Congress when Indiana was created from the Northwest Territory in 1800.

It means "Land of Indians."

THE STATE NICKNAMES:

Capitol Plaza, Indianapolis

The Hoosier State

In an 1831 letter from G.L. Murdock to General Tom Tipton, Mr. Murdock states "Our Boat will [be] named the Indiana Hoosier." On January 1, 1833, the Indianapolis Journal used John Finley's poem, "The Hoosier's Nest" as their "Carriers' Address".

Indiana may have been referred to as "The Hoosier State" since the early 1830s. There are many explanations for this nickname, some of them quite illogical and humorous and others believable. Like many nicknames, Hoosier may have been used contemptuously to refer to the people in Indiana.

The Who's Here Story - This explanation builds on the story that Indianans were a nosey lot who called out "Who's here?" to every house they passed. A variation of this theory has the inhabitant of the house calling "Who's yere?" when a visitor knocked on the door. The story goes that "Who's here" or "Who's yere" eventually evolved into the word "Hoosier."

The Who's Ear Story - Another sound-alike story, this one perpetrated by James Whitcomb Riley, "The Hoosier Poet [Link to collected works]," facetiously suggests the term "Hoosier" was born of the unruly and pugnacious nature of the early settlers in Indiana. Early Indianans fought viciously during tavern brawls, gouging, scratching and sometimes biting off a nose or an ear. So common were these incidents that when a settler entering a tavern the next morning saw an ear on the floor, he would nudged it casually with his shoe and ask "Who's ear?"

The Fighting Indianans - One story asserts that the term Hoosier came from the bullying and rambunctious Indiana rivermen, always ready for a brawl, who were reputed to be quite successful in coming out on top, "hushing" their opponents. They became known as "Hushers" and eventually "Hoosiers."

Mr. Hoosier - It is said that a contractor named Hoosier liked to hire Indiana men for work on the Louisville and Portland Canal. These men became known as "Hoosier's men" and later, "Hoosiers."

The Indiana Historian - Jacob Piatt Dunn, Jr., Indiana historian and longtime secretary of the Indiana Historical Society found that the word, "hoosier" was used, in the south, to refer to woodsmen and rough hill people. Mr. Piatt traced this word back to England and the word "hoozer," meaning anything large in the Cumberland dialect. This was derived from the Anglo-Saxon "hoo" meaning high or hill. Mr. Pratt suggests that this word was brought from England and applied to people who lived in the southern mountains. This word then migrated north to the southern hills of Indiana. "Hoosier" is still sometimes used in the southern United States to characterize someone who is less then sophisticated, or more bluntly, an "ignorant rustic."

The Methodist Preacher - It was originally put forth by William Pearson in the June, 1995 issue of the "Indiana Magazine of History," that the term "Hoosier" was derived from the name of a southern, black Methodist preacher named Harry Hoosier. According to William Pearson, Hoosier served white ministers and preached when allowed. Harry Hoosier was an excellent speaker and one of the most dynamic preachers of his time.

According to Pierson, some were disturbed by an anti-slavery african-american man preaching to multiracial audiences and Hoosier was especially disliked by Virginia Baptists. Animosity toward "Black Harry Hoosier" may have caused a negative veil to settle on the name that may have eventually evolved to mean someone who was ignorant and/or uncouth. Of course, like many nicknames, originating as slurs, the negative conotation has been lost to history.

Crossroads of America

Indiana is sometimes as the "Crossroads of America." This is the Official State Motto of Indiana.

THE STATE CITIZENS:

People who live in or come from Indiana are called Indianans or Indianians or... they're called Hoosiers.

THE STATE QUARTER:

United States Mint Image

The Indiana state quarter was officially unveiled on August 8, 2002 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is the 19th quarter to be released in the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarter program and the fourth to be released in 2002.

The Hoosier State's quarter is centered around a modern "Indy" car calling attention to the world-famous Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The racer is superimposed over an image of the state and seems to roll out of the circle of 19 stars. Below the car is the inscription CROSSROADS OF AMERICA. 1816 is the year that Indiana was admitted to the union.

For more about the state commemorative quarters, visit this page.

This 50 State Quarter Map is a great way to collect and display all 50 State Quarters.