Did You Know...? Santa Claus, the Indiana town, receives more than half a million letters at Christmas. The winner of the first 500-mile auto race in Indianapolis (1911) averaged 74.59 mph. There are 30 covered bridges in Parke County. Indiana was the 48th state to adopt Daylight Saving Time (2006);
Did You Know...? Illinois is an Algonquin word and means tribe of superior men. Metropolis, the home of Superman, is a real place in southern Illinois. Des Plaines was home to the first McDonald’s Restaurant, now a museum. Illinois is the Land of Lincoln, but the 16th president was born
Did You Know...? Hells Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon; Shoshone Falls is taller than Niagara. About two-thirds of Idaho’s land is owned by the federal government. The world’s richest silver region, Silver Valley, produced 1.1 billion ounces in 120 years. Idaho is not an Indian name; the word
Did You Know...? Hawaii is a chain of 132 islands extending 1,523 miles — like New York to Denver. Capt. James Cook called these the Sandwich Islands. Hawaii is the only U.S. state to have been an independent monarchy (ending in 1893). The Hawaiian alphabet has five vowels, seven consonants
Did You Know...? The Girl Scouts of the USA originated in Savannah in 1912. Georgia produces more peanuts than any other state. Coca-Cola, created in Atlanta in 1886, sold for 5 cents a glass — not cheap then. The nation’s first major gold rush occurred in Dahlonega, Ga., in 1829.
Did You Know...? There are more than 800 Florida Keys; the skinny 30-mile Key Largo is the largest. Lakeland’s name is a natural: There are 19 lakes within the city limits. St. Augustine is North America’s oldest continuously occupied city, from 1565. In Florida, one is never more than 60
Did You Know...? Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Horseshoe crabs, which flock to Delaware's coast in May, can live a year without eating. Approximately 200,000 companies are incorporated in Delaware. America's first beauty contest was in Rehoboth Beach (1880); Thomas Edison was a judge. DuPont,
Did You Know...? There are up to 150,000 boats on the waters off Connecticut’s coast. The Hartford Courant is the oldest continuously published U.S. newspaper (1764). Connecticut has 92 state parks and 30 state forests. America’s first accident insurance policy, sold in Hartford (1864), cost 2 cents. Connecticut passed the
Did You Know...? The U.S. federal government owns more than a third of the land in Colorado. America’s largest silver nugget (1,840 pounds/93% pure) was found in Aspen in 1894. Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the U.S. at 10,430 feet. Colorado is the only U.S. state to turn
Did You Know...? The world’s finest quartz is found in two places: Arkansas and Brazil. The waters at Hot Springs remain at a constant temperature of 143F. Texarkana and its post office sit in two states; the address for the post office: Texarkana, Arkansas-Texas. Crater of Diamonds is the world’s
