Monon: The Hoosier Line?

[Anonymous]

Kind of an outta the blue question. I saw an old Monon boxcar today, and it said "The Hoosier Line" on it. What is a hoosier?

[SSW9389]

A native of Indiana.

[joseph2]

I live in Indiana,here is a defination of "Hoosier" from a book on folklore.There was once a rowdy bar in Indiana that had a lot of knife fights.Ears were cut or bit off in these fights.Every night at closing time the bar tender would ask "Who's ear is this ?" .After a while" who's ear "changed to hoosier . So I guess a Hoosier was a person who got into a bar room fight on a regular basis. Joe G.

[PennsyHoosier]

I'm a Hoosier, too. Fact is, no one knows what the original meaning of "hoosier" is. Historians have made a career out of trying to define it. One thing we all know, is that it reflects a certain state pride. GO Colts; Komets, Pacers, etc. It is good to be a Hoosier.

[rogerhensley]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joseph2

I "Who's ear is this ?" .After a while" who's ear "changed to hoosier .

Never heard that one. The definition that I learned in grade (elementary) school in the 1950s was that Indiana was the home of many many woodsmen (true) who seldom went to the door to answer a knock without first asking, "Whoos 'ere?" There you have it. 'Hoosier'. No knife fights. Nothing that special, just someone asking who the visitor was. I expect that there is more than a little truth in this.

The Monon operated almost exclusively in Indiana from Louisville KY to Chicago IL with their lines forming an X thorugh the town of Monon IN. They served Bloomington (Indiana University), Lafayette (Purdue University), Indianapolis and numerous small towns along the way.

A Memorial was just dedicated to the workers at the Monon Shops in Lafayette.
Photos may be found on my Railroads of Madison County web site at:
http://madisonrails.railfan.net/photo2004.html

and on the Monon Historical Society site at:
http://www.monon.org/smdedication.html

l

[PennsyHoosier]

The Indiana Magazing of History has had many, many articles over the years on the origin of "hoosier." If you're interested, see the site for the magazine:

http://www.indiana.edu/~imaghist/index.html

One example of a fairly recent article is Piersen, William D., "The Origin of the Word 'Hoosier': A New Interpretation," Indiana Magazine of History (1995): 189-196.

[Morpar]

The way I always heard it was that people from Kentucky would always ask "Who's yer Daddy?" when they met someone from Indiana, under the mistaken notion that we too were in-breeds. Don't know if it's true, just what I heard.....

[PennsyHoosier]

You know wut hoosiers say: "why did they build all the bridges across the Ohio? So the Kentuckians could swim across in the shade."

Bad, bad, bad, I know. But that's typical Hoosier humor. Though we know that Kentucky always seems to win the bball games. [:D]

[philnrunt]

Another neat thing about the Monon was they painted their engines in the colors of Purdue University AND Indiana University. They took pride in being called the Hoosier Line.

[ort007]

QUOTE: One thing we all know, is that it reflects a certain state pride.

As another native Hoosier (now transplanted), I'm not so sure. Our neighbors (you know who you are!!) tend to use it as a slur. "What a Hoosier!" I think most of the pride in the name resides around Bloomington.[;)]

One thing on which Hoosiers can agree is that the Monon was a neat railroad.

"Hoosier by birth, Boilermaker by the grace of God"
Ort007

[PennsyHoosier]

Hey, what happened to the Boilers this season? They are starting to look like the Hoosiers? [:D]

[ort007]

QUOTE: Hey, what happened to the Boilers this season? They are starting to look like the Hoosiers?

Yea, the 'Ole Oaken Bucket' game ought to be quiet a struggle this year.[xx(]

At least the Purdue has a cool mascot for railfans/model railroaders. I wonder if anyone has every produced a scale model of the Boilermaker Special?

Cheers,
Ort007