Indiana Quick Quiz
By the Numbers
- Indiana has how many counties?
- How many stars are on the Indiana state flag?
- How many serve in the Indiana General Assembly (House and Senate combined)?
Answers Below
1816 In the first state elections, Jonathan Jennings was elected governor, defeating Territorial Governor Thomas Posey. At age 32, Jennings was faced with the challenge of laying the foundation for the new state. In November, the new legislature met in the capital city of Corydon. Pictured: A detail from the official state portrait of Jennings by Hoosier artist T. C. Steele.
1876 Mary Ritter Beard was born in Indianapolis. She attended DePauw University where she majored in history. A strong advocate for women's rights, she authored several books on women's history. She and her husband, Charles A. Beard from Knightstown, produced history textbooks which became standard references for the era.
1900 An estimated 3,000 adults and children were staying on the grounds of Acton Park for a three-day religious gathering. The hotel and cottages were full and many were sleeping in tents. The community in southeastern Marion County was known across the country for its church camps. For over 40 years, visitors traveled by horse, buggy, and train to hear preachers and attend Bible classes. A huge fire in 1905 swept the grounds, destroying the pavilion and over 100 cottages,
1923 Over 3,000 people came to Centerville, Indiana, to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the birth of Governor Oliver P. Morton. Members of the American Legion related the life story of Morton, who had steered the state through the turmoil of the Civil War. Governor Warren McCray helped dedicate a marker in front of Morton's former home on the National Road. Pictured: The Morton home from an archival postcard.
1947 Baseball legend George Herman "Babe" Ruth was in Indianapolis at the old Victory Field for the American Legion junior baseball all-star game. He had been the guest of honor at a luncheon where officials and fans paid tribute to him as one of the greatest players of the game. After he spoke to the crowd at the ballpark, the "Sultan of Swat" took time to meet young players and sign autographs.
50 YEARS AGO
1971 On the Ohio River, the Delta Queen, carrying 172 passengers, resumed a trip to Cincinnati after undergoing emergency repairs in Tell City, Indiana. The excursion boat, a wooden-hulled paddle wheeler, had suffered damage in an attempt to maneuver off of a sandbar near Cannelton. The repair was accomplished with the use of green oak from a nearby Perry County forest.
Hoosier Quote of the Week
"Popcorn has made many lousy movies worth sitting through." - - - Orville Redenbacher (1907 - 1995)
Born in Brazil, Indiana, he graduated from Purdue University and developed hybrid varieties of popcorn which turned the snack into a brand name known around the world.
Did You Know? During the most recent session of the Indiana General Assembly, legislative members voted in favor of an official "state snack." Their choice was no surprise: Indiana-grown popcorn. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Hoosier farmers grew 94,000 acres of popcorn in 2020. Indiana ranks as the number two producer of the puffy snack, just behind Nebraska.
ABE MARTIN SEZ:
To err is human; to admit it ain't.
(Kin Hubbard, The Indianapolis News, August 10, 1926)
ANSWERS: 1. 92 counties 2. 19 stars 3. 150 members
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