10 Facts about Indiana!

Did you know??? These facts about Indidana are true.

1. The Rotary Jail

Crawfordsville is home to the only working rotary jail in the world. The rotary jail made it possible for the sherriff to allow prisoners in or out without actually having to interact with them. The county Board of Charities investigators closed it claiming that it was dark, insanitary, and just too depressing.  It has been shut down since 1967.

2. The sky monster

On September 5th 1891 two men sighted what has become a legend... The Sky Monster. It was sighted by the entire town of Crawfordsville, IN.The Crawfordsville Journal described it as “about eighteen feet long and eight feet wide. . . . It was pure white and had no definite shape or form, resembling somewhat a great white shroud fitted with propelling fins. There was no tail or head visible but there was one great flaming eye... it frequently gave a great squirm as though suffering unutterable agony.”  Sounds to me like something out of a B-grade Sci-Fi movie.The truth is just about as embarrassing as the story is frightening. The sad truth is that new electric lights had scared the local killdeer population, which caused them to writhe above the city. More info located on the link  Crawfordsville Sky Monster.

3. Evansville P-47 Aircraft plant.

The P-47 was the largest aircraft to be powered by a single engine. It was also one of the United States most widely used and versatile fighter planes in World War II. It was equipped with eight .50 caliber machine guns, and when fully loaded it could weigh up to eight tons. It could also carry 500 Lbs. bombs, or a variety of rockets. The P-47's  .50 caliber machine guns could fire incendiary rounds which proved extremely useful against lightly armored vehicles and ground troops.They also served with the Air National Guard as spotter planes. The P-47 was a multipurpose plane that changed the way America used it's Air Force. Since WWII the style of fighting that the Air Force has adopted has made it impractical to continue use of the P-47 Thunderbolt.

4. The First Professional Baseball Game was Played in Fort Wayne

The First Professional league game was played in Fort Wayne. It was played  between the Fort Wayne Kekiongas and the Cleveland Forest Cities. This great breakthrough in baseball history was summed up by a ecstatic sportscaster "The finest game of base-ball ever witnessed in this country was played on the grounds of the Kekiongas..." This was probably just a very enthusiastic remark,  made by a long time fan of the sport. Fort Wayne won by 2.

5. Celebrities born in Indiana

There have been many Celebrities who have been born in Indiana, below is a list of several.

1.  David Letterman, a late night comedian, was born April 5, 1947 in Indianapolis.
2. James Dean, a popular movie star of the 1950s, was born February 8,1941 in Fairmont.
3. Leon Ames, a film and television actor, was born January 20, 1902 in Portland.
4. Jane Pauley, a news host, was born October 31, 1950 in Indianapolis.
5. Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of KFC, was born September 9, 1890 in Henryville. 

These are only a few of the many celebrities who have been born in Indiana. A more complete list can be found at this website.

6. The First Long Distance Auto Race.

The first official long distance auto race took place in Indianapolis. This took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30, 1911. The winner took home a Prest-o-Lite trophy and 15,000 dollars. However, with the growth of auto racing, the Indianapolis 500 now brings in over 400,000 fans to watch  cars race in circles... go figure. The winnings have also increased to over 1.2 million dollars. For more information on the Indy 500 Please visit http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/.

7. Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz won 7 gold medals in 1972, that's more than any athlete, other than Michael Phelps, has ever won in the Olympics. Spitz went to Indiana University, and never graduated. He later went on to do various speaking engagements, he was also a sports commentator. Spitz also narrated several movies. For more information on Mark Spitz visit http://www.markspitzusa.com/.

8. The Raggedy Ann Doll

The Raggedy Ann Doll, a toy which has become a household name got its start with the Gruelle's. The Gruelle's daughterMarcellaonce brought home a rag doll, and her father drew a face on it. When Marcella died at the age of 13 from a failed vaccination. Shortly after her mother began making the dolls. The dolls became a symbol of the anti-vaccination movement.

9. Studebaker Factory

Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the military. The Studebaker company was based in South Bend, and was one of the largest producer of horse drawn carriages. It later developed into a small automobile manufacturer that shut down in 1966.

10. Santa Claus, Indiana

Santa Claus Indiana receives over 500,000 letters and requests at Christmastime. For the longest time, the town had no name, but according to Paul Harvey's The History of Santa Claus it finally found it's name. According to the story, the town had remained nameless for many years. However late on Christmas Eve 1852, after the Christmas Eve church service, There was a meeting about what they should name the town. There was much discussion from all but the children about the name of the town. Then all of the sudden, the door to the house blew open, and sleigh bells were heard. The children immediately gave up being silent, ran to the door, and started shouting, "Santa Claus, It's Santa Claus!" That is how Santa Claus got it's name.