Indiana
Indiana's people are called Hoosiers, so it seems a
logical title for their sports programs as well. Of
course, where this term came from is up for debate.
Let's start with what I consider the least likely
candidates to be true. The term was attributed to
the Indian word hoosa by Indiana Governor Joseph
Wright. According to Wright, "hoosa" meant corn,
though no one has actually found a tribe in which the
term “hoosa” meant corn.
While somewhat amusing and perhaps a sense
of pride for Indiana residence, yet another theory
of "hoosier" comes from author James Whitcomb
Riley who argued that early Indiana settlers
were great fighters. In his story, a settler was not
particularly surprised or bothered by a human ear
being on the floor of a bar he had entered, but
rather just asked "Who's ear?"
There is also a story about a Polish officer serving
under Napoleon and later settling in Indiana that
may explain the term. It tells of how he gave
lectures on the courage and endurance of the
Hussars, which he wrongly called Hoosiers.
Apparently, Indiana residents liked the tale and
claimed it for themselves.
Ok, now we've gone through what I consider
the unlikely sources of the term Hoosier.
Now I offer you two that are more likely.
The old Saxon term for a hill dweller is "hoo."
It has been argued that, rather than being a
positive term, the term "hoosier" was actually
a slight on those that lived in Indiana basically
identifying them as "bumpkins" or "hillbillies."
While this may be the origin, my money would
be on the following choice, which seems to have
the most substance and historical backing.
Samuel Hoosier, a contractor who built the
Louisville and Portland Canal in 1825, is thought
to be one of the likely candidates for the term
"Hoosier." Because he found Indiana's men to be
much better diggers, his workers were largely from
this state. They were initially called Hoosier men and
later Hoosiers. Taking the title as a source of pride,
they continued to use the term even after their
service with Samuel Hoosier was up.
Indiana's people are called Hoosiers, so it seems a
logical title for their sports programs as well. Of
course, where this term came from is up for debate.
Let's start with what I consider the least likely
candidates to be true. The term was attributed to
the Indian word hoosa by Indiana Governor Joseph
Wright. According to Wright, "hoosa" meant corn,
though no one has actually found a tribe in which the
term “hoosa” meant corn.
While somewhat amusing and perhaps a sense
of pride for Indiana residence, yet another theory
of "hoosier" comes from author James Whitcomb
Riley who argued that early Indiana settlers
were great fighters. In his story, a settler was not
particularly surprised or bothered by a human ear
being on the floor of a bar he had entered, but
rather just asked "Who's ear?"
There is also a story about a Polish officer serving
under Napoleon and later settling in Indiana that
may explain the term. It tells of how he gave
lectures on the courage and endurance of the
Hussars, which he wrongly called Hoosiers.
Apparently, Indiana residents liked the tale and
claimed it for themselves.
Ok, now we've gone through what I consider
the unlikely sources of the term Hoosier.
Now I offer you two that are more likely.
The old Saxon term for a hill dweller is "hoo."
It has been argued that, rather than being a
positive term, the term "hoosier" was actually
a slight on those that lived in Indiana basically
identifying them as "bumpkins" or "hillbillies."
While this may be the origin, my money would
be on the following choice, which seems to have
the most substance and historical backing.
Samuel Hoosier, a contractor who built the
Louisville and Portland Canal in 1825, is thought
to be one of the likely candidates for the term
"Hoosier." Because he found Indiana's men to be
much better diggers, his workers were largely from
this state. They were initially called Hoosier men and
later Hoosiers. Taking the title as a source of pride,
they continued to use the term even after their
service with Samuel Hoosier was up.