Monroe County Public Library
	Indiana Room

Indiana Trivia

The largest student union building in the world is the Indiana University Memorial Union with over 475,000 square feet of space.

The first successful goldfish farm in the United States was opened in Martinsville in 1899.

Madam C.J. Walker, an African-American woman born in Louisiana, became one of the first woman millionaires in 1918. She made her fortune by manufacturing cosmetics in Indianapolis for African-American women.

Bedford is known as the limestone capital of the world. Its limestone has become the foundation of a number of structures including the Empire State building, Chicago's Tribune Tower and St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City.

In 1880, Wabash became the first city in the United States to have electric street lights.

Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis is the burial place for many famous figures in Indiana History. Benjamin Harrison, Oliver P. Morton, Kin Hubbard, James Whitcomb Riley and John Dillinger are among those buried here.

Levi and Catherine Coffin were Quakers opposed to slavery. Their home in Fountain City was known as the Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad. Simeon and Rachael Halliday, characters in "Uncle Tom's Cabin", are based on the Coffins.

Eugene V. Debs, of Terre Haute, was the Socialist Party candidate for President five times, in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 and 1920.

Indiana has earned the nickname "Mother of Vice-Presidents". There have been five men from Indiana elected as vice-presidents: Schuyler Colfax, Thomas A. Hendricks, Charles W. Fairbanks, Thomas Marshall and Dan Quayle.

The first radio station in the state was WSBT which began broadcasting in South Bend in 1921.

The first train robbery in the United States was committed by the Reno brothers in 1866. They hopped the Ohio and Minnesota train as it pulled out of the Seymour depot. Their take was $15,000.

Many famous people are natives of Indiana including: John Mellencamp, Florence Henderson, Will Geer, Steve McQueen, James Dean, Shelly Long, Carole Lombard, Karl Malden, Sydney Pollack, David Letterman, Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter, Phil Harris, Michael Jackson, Jane Pauley, Gene Stratton-Porter, Orville Redenbacher, James Whitcomb Riley, Ross Lockridge, Booth Tarkington, Marshal Major W. Taylor, Larry Bird, and Ernie Pyle.

The Greene County viaduct was completed in 1906. Locally known as "Tulip Trestle", it is 180 feet high and 2,295 feet long making it the longest train trestle in the U. S.

Corydon was the scene of the only Civil War battle on Indiana ground. The battle was fought July 9, 1863 when General John Hunt Morgan attacked the city.