List of Indiana state symbols

Location of the state of Indiana in the United States, highlighted in red.

The U.S. state of Indiana has 12 official state emblems, as well as other designated official and unofficial items. The majority of the symbols in the list are officially recognized and created by an act of the Indiana General Assembly and signed into law by the governor. They are listed in Indiana Code Title 1, Article 2, State Emblems which also regulates the appearance and applicable use of the items.^[1]

Compared to other states, Indiana has few official symbols. The first symbol was the Seal of Indiana, which was made official in 1801 for the Indiana Territory and again in 1816 by the state of Indiana.^[2] It served as the state's only emblem for nearly a century until the adoption of the state song in 1913.^[3] For many years, Indiana was the only state without a flag. The official state banner was adopted in 1917, and renamed the state flag in 1955.^[4] The newest symbol of Indiana is the state rifle, the Grouseland Rifle, assigned in 2012 during the second regular session of the 117th Indiana General Assembly.^[5]

Insignia

Type	Symbol	Description	Year	Image	Note
Flag	The flag of Indiana	Indiana's flag has a blue background with a torch in the center. The torch is surrounded by nineteen stars, thirteen representing the original colonies, five the next five states, and one Indiana.	1917		[6]
Motto	The Crossroads of America	Indiana is the site of many cross-country roads, including the National Road and U.S. Route 41.	1937		[7]
Nickname	The Hoosier State	Indiana residents are known as Hoosiers, a word of unknown origin.	Traditional	—	[7]
Seal	The seal of Indiana	Indiana's seal depicts a setting sun, sycamore trees, a woodsman, and a jumping bison.	1963		[8]

Species

Type	Symbol	Description	Year	Image	Note
Bird	Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis	The male cardinal is bright red and the female is brown and dull red. They live in Indiana year-round.	1933		[9][B]
Flower	Peony Paeonia	The peony is a red, pink, or white flower that blooms in late May. It is grown throughout Indiana.	1957		[10][C]
Tree	Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera	The tulip tree is also called the yellow poplar. It has a distinctive leaf shape and yellow, bell-shaped flowers. It is a tall tree and grows throughout Indiana.	1931 !March 3, 1931		[11]

Geology

Type	Symbol	Description	Year	Image	Note
River	Wabash River	The Wabash is the longest river in Indiana. It flows from Ohio across Northern Indiana until it forms the border between Indiana and Illinois.	1996		[12]
Soil	Miami	Miami soil is used to grow corn and soybeans, Indiana's primary crops. It is a brown silt loam that is highly productive and widespread in Indiana.	9999 ! —		[13]
Stone	Limestone	The Indiana variety of limestone, also called Salem or Bedford, is significantly quarried in south-central Indiana. It is a high-quality stone that has been used in buildings such as the Empire State Building and the Pentagon. A sculpture commemorating the state stone sits in the Indiana Statehouse.	1971		[14]

Culture

The Indiana Senate has proposed water as the state beverage^[15] but it has not become official.

Type	Symbol	Description	Year	Image	Note
Language	English	English is the native language of over 95% of the state's residents.	1984	—	[16][D]
Holidays	George Rogers Clark Day, February 25 (1779) Northwest Ordinance Day, July 13 (1787) Indiana Day, December 11 (1816)	Celebrates the surrender of Fort Sackville Celebrates the adoption of the Northwest Ordinance Celebrates Indiana's admittance to the United States	1975 1988 1925		[17] [18] [19]
Pie	Pie	Sugar Cream Pie	2009		[20]
Poem	"Indiana"	"Indiana" is by Arthur Franklin Mapes, the former Indiana State Poet Laureate. The poem describes the state's natural beauty.	1963	—	[21]
Song	"On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" By Paul Dresser	This song describes the author's past along the Wabash River.	1913 !March 14, 1913		[22]
Rifle	Grouseland Rifle	Grouseland Rifle is one of the six remaining rifles made by gunsmith John Small in the early 1800s.	2012 !March 6, 2012		[23]

Notes

^A The slogan was formerly Enjoy Indiana.^[24]

^B At the time, the northern cardinal's scientific name was Richmondena Cardianalis Cardinalis. It was changed in 1983.^[25]

^C From 1923 to 1931, the state flower was the flower of the tulip tree. From 1931 to 1957, the state flower was the Zinnia.^[26]

^D American Sign Language was recognized as an independent language in 1995.^[16]

See also

• Lists of United States state insignia

References

External links

• "Indiana Code Title 1, Article 2 Table of Contents". Indiana General Assembly. Retrieved 2007-12-27. 
• "Emblems of the State of Indiana". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-28. 
• "Facts about Indiana: State Emblems". VisitIndiana.com. Retrieved 2008-08-20. 

State of Indiana
Indianapolis (capital)
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