Hoosier Hill

Hoosier Hill is the highest natural point in the state of Indiana at 1,257 feet (383 m) above sea level. It is in the rural area of Franklin Township, Wayne County to the northwest of Bethel. The nearest intersection to the high point is Elliot Road and County Line Road. The nearest major landmark is Interstate 70 and Richmond 11 miles (17.5 km) to the south.

The Hill sits on private property; the high point sits in a forested area surrounded by farmland. In 2005, an Eagle Scout candidate named Kyle Cummings (Troop 820 from Lakeside Park, Kentucky), in cooperation with the property owner, built a trail, sign and picnic area at the high point.

Geologically, the hill sits in the Dearborn Upland, an area of high terrain in southeast Indiana that sits on top of the geologic structure known as the Cincinnati Arch. However, Hoosier Hill is located in a portion of the upland buried underneath glacial debris known as the Tipton Till Plain. As a result, while the average elevation of this upland region is 1100 +/-100 feet above sea level, the topographic relief is gentle where the "hill" is no more than 30 feet higher than the surrounding landscape of gently rolling farmland. While the high topography seen at Brown County State Park, which sits in the Norman Upland in south central Indiana, can be mistaken to be a high point (where relief is 400–500 feet from valley to hilltop), the elevations of hilltops ranges from 800–1050 feet.

Hoosier

Hoosier /ˈhuːʒər/ is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate within the state, but "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 poem "The Hoosier's Nest". Anyone born in Indiana or a resident at the time is considered to be a Hoosier. Indiana adopted the nickname "The Hoosier State" more than 150 years ago.

"Hoosier" is used in the names of numerous Indiana-based businesses and organizations. "Hoosiers" is also the name of the Indiana University athletic teams and seven active and one disbanded athletic conferences in the Indiana High School Athletic Association have the word "Hoosier" in their name. As there is no accepted embodiment of a Hoosier, the IU schools are represented through their letters and colors alone.

Origin

In addition to "The Hoosier's Nest", the term also appeared in the Indianapolis Journal's "Carrier's Address" on January 1, 1833. There are many suggestions for the derivation of the word, but none is universally accepted.

Hoosier (disambiguation)

Hoosier most commonly refers to a person from the U.S. state of Indiana, known as The Hoosier State.

Indiana-related terms

Other

Hoosier Hundred

The Hoosier Hundred is a USAC Silver Crown Series race held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. The race was first held in 1953, and through 1970 was part of the National Championship.

Over the years, the Hoosier Hundred has been considered one of the richest and most prestigious open wheel Sprint car races in the United States. Seven winners of the Hoosier Hundred have also won the Indianapolis 500, led by A. J. Foyt, who has won six times. The event takes place at the historic one-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval at the fairgrounds complex, known as the "Track of Champions."

Qualifying and/or heat race(s) lead up to the main event, a 100-lap, 100-mile (160 km) race held under the lights. Currently, the Hoosier Hundred is held on Memorial Day weekend, the same weekend as the Indianapolis 500, which is held nearby at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

History

Racing at the fairgrounds oval dates back to the early 20th century. In June 1903, Barney Oldfield drove the first 60 mph (96.5 km/h) lap in automobile history at the circuit. The first AAA championship race took place in 1946, with Rex Mays sweeping the pole position and race.