The seal depicts a pioneer scene - a woodsman felling a tree while a buffalo flees from the forest across the plains, and the sun sets in the distance. It has been used since 1801, but was not officially adopted until 1963.
Congress coined the name "Indiana" Then in 1800, Congress separated an area containing all or part of the five present states from the Northwest Territory and named the separated area the "Indiana Territory." The territorial name was retained when Indiana, which means, "the land of the Indians," became a state.
Origin of the nickname "Hoosier" still is debated. Many believe the word stems from the pioneers greeting night callers with "Who's yer?" Others think it comes from "Hoosier men," referring to laborers for an early-day contractor named Sam Hoosier, who built a canal along the Ohio River. He preferred to hire men living north of the river, believing them to be better workers than those living south of the river.
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