The Crossroads of America. Called the Hoosier State but not even its residents know why. It gets a bad rap due to its Great Lakes location in the Midwest. It is not part of the Rust Belt as it’s perceived and much of it lies too far south to be considered. The worst thing about this state is that its 6.3 million residents are surrounded by the four worst states: Ohio (decaying Rust Belt), Michigan (decaying Rust Belt), Kentucky (indred hillbillies) and Illinois (liberal and pretentious). That’s a bad combination, I know. The good news is that Indiana has faired better off economically than its neighbors: it’s the fastest-growing state by population in the Midwest, lower taxes, extremely reasonable cost of living, job growth despite layoffs in hard manufacturing, an increase in wages despite cutbacks in the auto industry and more corporate investments. Indiana is stereotyped as a place with nothing but corn, basketball and hicks, like ignorant morons from the coasts think who have never been there. I am here to argue otherwise and to defend my roots. Let’s get a few common misconceptions straight:
1. Yes, there is a lot of corn but there is more than corn in Indiana. Other agricultural products include soybeans (#3 in the country), mint, tomatoes, swine and poultry. Forests cover much of southern Indiana. Indiana has more covered bridges than any state. The state does have number of great tourists attractions: casinos on Lake Michigan and the Ohio River, Indianapolis has the Children’s Museum and (the world’s largest), The Eiteljorg, State Museum, the NCAA Hall of Champs, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (the nation’s 7th largest), the James Dean Museum (Marion), old historic Ft. Wayne, Marengo and Wyandotte caves in southern Indiana (among the largest caverns in the country) and Indiana Dunes. Indianapolis made the list of America’s Top 30 most visited destinations in 2006 (#22) according to Forbes Traveler, even beating out Denver.
3. Hoosiers have a love for basketball but only at the high school and college level despite having an NBA team (Pacers). The RCA Dome in Indianapolis fills to capacity as high school teams compete in the state’s basketball tournament. Hoosiers are often divided in loyalty between the Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers. The term “Hoosier Hysteria” describes the state’s love for basketball and was depicted in the movie Hoosiers. Basketball is undoubtedly popular in Indiana but auto racing brings in the most dollars. The Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 are the world’s largest single-day sporting events. Indianapolis is the “amateur sports capital of the world” and has invested billions of $$ in amateur sports. The NCAA is headquartered in Indianapolis along with a dozen amateur sports organizations. Indianapolis is the only city to earn its place on the map through amateur sports.
4. Hoosiers as its people are called are NOT all hicks. It has no more hicks than any other state. Hoosiers are average people who live in small towns, sizeable communities, a big city (Indianapolis) or its suburbs. But the hicks it DOES have are in the far southern third of the state, mostly south of Bloomington. Their dialect may sound southern to those from the upper Great Lakes but not as distinct as say, Kentucky. Some with a southern draw live around Indianapolis. It is the 12th largest city in the U.S and almost 2 million live in the metro area. The state’s 6 million residents are for the most part conservative but not anymore backwards than anywhere else. In fact, Carmel and the rest of Hamilton County, just north of Indianapolis, is very posh and among the richest areas in the Midwest and one of the fastest-growing counties by population in the country. Indianapolis is vibrant and progressive, generally speaking and more so than most large Midwest cities (except Chicago). Just look at St. Louis, Louisville, Cincy, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland, Detroit or Milwaukee. It has spent billions of dollars revitalizing its downtown and has become the poster-child for urban revitalization. It is the fastest-growing large metro area in the Midwest. Gary, on the other hand, is a black, crime-ridden decaying hole and among the worst cities in the country to live. Indiana is the fastest-growing state in the Midwest by population.
5. Indianapolis is the fastest-growing large metro area in the Midwest and fastest-growing from Boston to Denver! That’s a huge area! Indianapolis is also the largest Midwest city by land area (373 square-miles).
6. Has quality universities including Purdue (W. Lafayette), Indiana (Bloomington), Ball State (Muncie), Notre Dame (South Bend), Rose Hullman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute), Indiana State and a list of others
7. Indiana is actually a very diverse state with a combination of cornfields, farms, steel mills, college towns, hicks, yuppies, suburbanites, soccer moms, ghetto and gangbangers.
8. Indiana is considered and industrial state. It is the country’s leader in steel production, centered in Gary, but the production of transportation equipment is its largest economic activity. It is the nation’s leader in the production of recreational vehicles (Rvs), engines, truck bodies, transmissions and manufactured housing, a.k.a, modular homes. Indiana is an important state for the auto industry for this reason. GM, Ford and Chrysler used to be the big players but have since been replaced by the Japanese: Toyota, Honda and Subaru. Indiana is also a leader in the production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals (Eli Lilly in Indy is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies), musical instruments, caskets and urns (ironically centered in Batesville) and food processing (Nestle is building a plant in Anderson).
9. It is NOT part of the Rust Belt, like Michigan or Ohio. Much of Indiana lies too far south to be considered, with the exception of Gary.
10. Indiana isn’t ALL flat. About 30% of the state has large hills: mostly in southern Indiana. Brown County is probably the most scenic location in the state. Marengo and Wyandotte caves are some of the largest caves in the country.
11. Yes, there is a town called French Lick (Larry Bird’s hometown). Go ahead, laugh. As if your state doesn’t have towns with funny names. Other funny names include Gnaw Bone, Beanblossom, Santa Clause, Shipshewana, and Mishawaka.
12. The state has 19 of the 20 largest high school gymnasiums if the country.
13. No matter how you look at it. It’s still better than Kentucky
1. Yes, there is a lot of corn but there is more than corn in Indiana. Other agricultural products include soybeans (#3 in the country), mint, tomatoes, swine and poultry. Forests cover much of southern Indiana. Indiana has more covered bridges than any state. The state does have number of great tourists attractions: casinos on Lake Michigan and the Ohio River, Indianapolis has the Children’s Museum and (the world’s largest), The Eiteljorg, State Museum, the NCAA Hall of Champs, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (the nation’s 7th largest), the James Dean Museum (Marion), old historic Ft. Wayne, Marengo and Wyandotte caves in southern Indiana (among the largest caverns in the country) and Indiana Dunes. Indianapolis made the list of America’s Top 30 most visited destinations in 2006 (#22) according to Forbes Traveler, even beating out Denver.
3. Hoosiers have a love for basketball but only at the high school and college level despite having an NBA team (Pacers). The RCA Dome in Indianapolis fills to capacity as high school teams compete in the state’s basketball tournament. Hoosiers are often divided in loyalty between the Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers. The term “Hoosier Hysteria” describes the state’s love for basketball and was depicted in the movie Hoosiers. Basketball is undoubtedly popular in Indiana but auto racing brings in the most dollars. The Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 are the world’s largest single-day sporting events. Indianapolis is the “amateur sports capital of the world” and has invested billions of $$ in amateur sports. The NCAA is headquartered in Indianapolis along with a dozen amateur sports organizations. Indianapolis is the only city to earn its place on the map through amateur sports.
4. Hoosiers as its people are called are NOT all hicks. It has no more hicks than any other state. Hoosiers are average people who live in small towns, sizeable communities, a big city (Indianapolis) or its suburbs. But the hicks it DOES have are in the far southern third of the state, mostly south of Bloomington. Their dialect may sound southern to those from the upper Great Lakes but not as distinct as say, Kentucky. Some with a southern draw live around Indianapolis. It is the 12th largest city in the U.S and almost 2 million live in the metro area. The state’s 6 million residents are for the most part conservative but not anymore backwards than anywhere else. In fact, Carmel and the rest of Hamilton County, just north of Indianapolis, is very posh and among the richest areas in the Midwest and one of the fastest-growing counties by population in the country. Indianapolis is vibrant and progressive, generally speaking and more so than most large Midwest cities (except Chicago). Just look at St. Louis, Louisville, Cincy, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland, Detroit or Milwaukee. It has spent billions of dollars revitalizing its downtown and has become the poster-child for urban revitalization. It is the fastest-growing large metro area in the Midwest. Gary, on the other hand, is a black, crime-ridden decaying hole and among the worst cities in the country to live. Indiana is the fastest-growing state in the Midwest by population.
5. Indianapolis is the fastest-growing large metro area in the Midwest and fastest-growing from Boston to Denver! That’s a huge area! Indianapolis is also the largest Midwest city by land area (373 square-miles).
6. Has quality universities including Purdue (W. Lafayette), Indiana (Bloomington), Ball State (Muncie), Notre Dame (South Bend), Rose Hullman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute), Indiana State and a list of others
7. Indiana is actually a very diverse state with a combination of cornfields, farms, steel mills, college towns, hicks, yuppies, suburbanites, soccer moms, ghetto and gangbangers.
8. Indiana is considered and industrial state. It is the country’s leader in steel production, centered in Gary, but the production of transportation equipment is its largest economic activity. It is the nation’s leader in the production of recreational vehicles (Rvs), engines, truck bodies, transmissions and manufactured housing, a.k.a, modular homes. Indiana is an important state for the auto industry for this reason. GM, Ford and Chrysler used to be the big players but have since been replaced by the Japanese: Toyota, Honda and Subaru. Indiana is also a leader in the production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals (Eli Lilly in Indy is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies), musical instruments, caskets and urns (ironically centered in Batesville) and food processing (Nestle is building a plant in Anderson).
9. It is NOT part of the Rust Belt, like Michigan or Ohio. Much of Indiana lies too far south to be considered, with the exception of Gary.
10. Indiana isn’t ALL flat. About 30% of the state has large hills: mostly in southern Indiana. Brown County is probably the most scenic location in the state. Marengo and Wyandotte caves are some of the largest caves in the country.
11. Yes, there is a town called French Lick (Larry Bird’s hometown). Go ahead, laugh. As if your state doesn’t have towns with funny names. Other funny names include Gnaw Bone, Beanblossom, Santa Clause, Shipshewana, and Mishawaka.
12. The state has 19 of the 20 largest high school gymnasiums if the country.
13. No matter how you look at it. It’s still better than Kentucky
Indiana is a very average and desent state to live in. Maybe not as popular as California or Florida, but sure as hell better than the likes of Michigan, those inbred Southern states (including Kentucky), those desolate prarie states and those pretentious-prick Northeastern states. Indiana is my home and I am proud to be a Hoosier. So screw you.
by krock1dk@yahoo.com August 4, 2007
The Armpit of the Midwest
by Not From Indiana (Thank God) July 3, 2003
1. Suburb of Chicago
2. Home of the Indianapolis 500 where a bunch of guys drive around in cirles for 500 miles
3. Home to belching, polluting steel plants
4. Birthplace of Michael Jackson
2. Home of the Indianapolis 500 where a bunch of guys drive around in cirles for 500 miles
3. Home to belching, polluting steel plants
4. Birthplace of Michael Jackson
I wuz in the infield of the indy 500 atop a pile of homespun steel not too far from Chicago when I noticed a guy doin' the moon walk
by grunkster July 4, 2003
Indiana is a state in the midwest. Sandwiched in between Illinois and Ohio, Indiana is best known for being the world’s largest contiguous cornfield, spanning at least a billion miles across the heartland of the United States. Indiana has the highest percent population of rednecks of any non-Southern state. A significant number of black people also live in certain areas but the only reason why they are allowed to is because they make up the bulk of the Pacers basketball team, since everybody knows that Whitey can’t jump. Indiana culture revolves around four things: corn, basketball, meth labs, and NASCAR.
Redneck 1: "Hey, you got any corn?"
redneck 2: "Take a look around, dipshit. We're in indiana. We LIVE in corn."
Redneck 1: "Oh... well, then you got any Skoal?"
redneck 2: " Hell yeah. It's in my truck over yonder, right next to the meth lab in the back!"
redneck 2: "Take a look around, dipshit. We're in indiana. We LIVE in corn."
Redneck 1: "Oh... well, then you got any Skoal?"
redneck 2: " Hell yeah. It's in my truck over yonder, right next to the meth lab in the back!"
by CodyE March 17, 2007
State in the midwest. Largest export corn and the christian coalition. Embaressment of all youth who reside in state. State featuring such notable cities as Gary Kokomo and Indianapolis. See Kokomo for definition of racism.
Gee I'm so Imbarresed to live in Indiana. Kokomo was the site of the largest KKK gathering in history.
by my name August 10, 2004
College town of about 15,000 in the middle of nowhere, about 50 miles ENE of Pittsburgh. Population increases to 30,000 when IUP is in session. Home of IUP and birthplace of the band The Clarks and actor Jimmy Stewart. Located in Indiana County, the Christmas Tree Capital of the World.
by panther75 March 24, 2006
One of those states OVERTHERE
by Aaron July 7, 2003