Indiana State Motto

"The Crossroads of America"

Adopted on on March 2, 1937.

Language: English

Focus: Geographical

Indiana is located in the Midwestern part of the United States and ranks among the top ten states in both agricultural and industrial output. Because Indiana's railways, waterways and ports provide access to the world, Indiana motto, 'The Crossroads of America' was adopted by the Indiana General Assembly in 1937.

When this motto was chosen, the theoretical center of the United States was in Indiana; furthermore, a number of north-south and east-west routes intersect in Indiana. Some of these routes have been of national importance since pioneer days.

Indiana State Motto
"The Crossroads of America"

There are four states with mottos that focus on geography:

Alaska: "North to the Future"
Minnesota: "L'Etoile du Nord" (Star of the North),
Indiana: "The Crossroads of America"
Michigan: "Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice" (If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You)

The Evansville Courier, now the Evansville Courier & Press, ran a column called "Paragraphy" in the 1930s. J. Roy Strickland, its author, suggested to his readers that it was time to adopt a state motto by soliciting suggestions and providing them to the Indiana General Assembly. He wrote,

"...in my column, Paragraphy, I started a campaign for suggestions for a motto for Indiana. In a period of two or three weeks, I received three hundred and twenty-four suggestions. These were printed in folder form, without the names and addresses of the senders, and forwarded to the State legislature then in session at Indianapolis. A committee of three from the House and two from the Senate took this list of mottoes and selected 'The Crossroads of America.'"

A joint resolution by the Indiana House of Representatives, to adopt "The Crossroads of America" as the official motto of Indiana resolved:

"Section 1. Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, the Senate concurring, that the expression 'The Crossroads of America' is hereby designated and adopted as the official State motto or slogan for the State of Indiana."

Indiana Law

Joint Resolution No. 6, adopting The Crossroads of America as the official motto of Indiana, was adopted by the Eightieth Session of the General Assembly on March 2, 1937.

The adoption of the official state motto of Indiana was by House Joint Resolution and is not documented in the Indiana Code.

Mottos of the States