Indiana Trivia & Tidbits - Page 7

Looking for Indiana trivia? Try our list Indiana little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Completed in 1834, St. Francis Xavier Church, also known as the Old Cathedral, in Vincennes (pop. 18,701) is the state’s oldest Catholic church. Inside, four support pillars, made from poplar trees cut on a parishioner’s farm, are covered with a protective coating of plaster and are as strong today as they were when the building was erected.

first appeared: 1/16/2005

During the "Golden Age of Indiana Literature" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Hoosier authors achieved national prominence and popular acclaim, including Booth Tarkington, Gene Stratton-Porter and James Whitcomb Riley.

first appeared: 1/2/2005

An 1864 six-sided brick privy behind the Switzerland County Courthouse in Vevay (pop. 1,735) was deemed a landmark latrine and preserved during courthouse expansion in 2004.

first appeared: 12/19/2004

St. Elmo Steak House, one of the state’s oldest restaurants, has served patrons in downtown Indianapolis since 1902.

first appeared: 12/5/2004

Elvis Presley performed his last concert at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977.

first appeared: 11/21/2004

In 1917, Chef Louis Perrin at the French Lick Springs Resort & Spa in French Lick (pop. 1,941) ran out of orange juice and served tomato juice instead, the first known serving of its type.

first appeared: 11/7/2004

Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Spencer County was founded in 1854 by Benedictine monks from Switzerland who came at the request of a local priest to serve the growing German-speaking Catholic population.

first appeared: 10/24/2004

Wolf’s Homemade Candies in Attica (pop. 3,491) boasts chocolates “out of this world.” NASA astronaut David Wolf (no relation) had a stash while onboard the Mir space station from September 1997 to January 1998.

first appeared: 10/10/2004

Kappa Alpha Theta, the first Greek-letter fraternity for women, was established in 1870 at DePauw University in Greencastle (pop. 9,880).

first appeared: 10/3/2004

Union Army Gen. Ambrose Burnside, born in 1824 in Liberty (pop. 2,061), grew large strips of whiskers from his ears to his mustache, while sporting a clean-shaven chin. The style became known as “burnsides” and later “sideburns.”

first appeared: 9/19/2004

The state’s first Carnegie library opened in 1903 at Goshen (pop. 29,383) with 3,000 books.

first appeared: 9/12/2004

Novelist Kurt Vonnegut, best-selling author of Slaughterhouse-Five, was born in 1922 in Indianapolis.

first appeared: 9/5/2004

Established in 1794, the Old Cathedral Library in Vincennes (pop. 18,701) is the state’s oldest library and includes manuscripts dating back to 1319.

first appeared: 8/29/2004

Established in 1841, Fair Play Fire Company No. 1 in Madison (pop. 12,004) is the state’s longest-running volunteer fire company.

first appeared: 8/22/2004

David Tidmarsh, 14, of South Bend, triumphantly spelled “autochthonous” to win the 77th annual Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in June.

first appeared: 8/15/2004

Aurora (pop. 3,965) is nicknamed the “City of Spires” for its six historic steepled churches, most built in the mid-to-late 1800s.

first appeared: 8/8/2004

Jared Fogle, 26, of Indianapolis, lost weight and gained fame as “The Subway Guy” after shedding 245 pounds eating the company’s sub sandwiches.

first appeared: 8/1/2004

Open since 1886, L.H. Sturm Hardware in downtown Jasper (pop. 12,100) retains its original charm inside and out, including a hand-operated elevator, original cabinetry and shelving, and displays of old merchandise.

first appeared: 7/25/2004

Philander H. Fitzgerald, publisher of the American Tribune in Indianapolis, used his newspaper to drum up support for a Southern colony for aging Civil War veterans. Fitzgerald, Ga., was incorporated in 1895.

first appeared: 7/18/2004

In 1842, Plainfield (pop. 18,396) residents were upset about poor roads and President Martin Van Buren’s veto of a road-improvements bill. On a visit, Van Buren was “accidentally” dumped from his coach when it hit a tree root. The “Van Buren Elm” site is a local landmark.

first appeared: 7/11/2004

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