How many do you know?
- Elkhart County is known as the __ Capital of the world?
Trick question! Elkhart County is known as both the RV Capital and the Band Instrument Capital of the world.
It was in 1874 that Charles Gerard Conn began producing rubber mouth pieces for instruments in Elkhart, and by the 1970’s about 40% of all band instruments were produced in the city.
In 1936, Wilbur Schult bought Milo Miller’s Elkhart’s Sportsman Trailer Company. Schult ended up being the largest manufacturer in the industry by 1939. Along with his success more and more companies began to establish themselves in the area, now about 60% of all North American RV’s are manufactured in Elkhart County.
- In what year was the first rail line built through the City of Elkhart?
Believe it or not but there was a time when trains didn’t cross through Elkhart. For 21 years Elkhart was trainless, then in 1851 the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana Railroad Company built the first railway.
- Indiana is home to 33 native snake species 4 of which are venomous, but the only venomous snake that can be found in Elkhart County is?
The eastern massasauga rattlesnake, which is listed as endangered in Indiana, and also federally threatened (which means likely to become endangered at a national level in the foreseeable future). Habitat loss is the biggest cause of decline for these snakes.
- Started in 1851, Elkhart County’s 4-H fair has long been the biggest county fair in the state, and one of the biggest in the country. How many people attended the fair in 2019?
2019 had 183,646 visitors. 2013 is the current record year with 280,175 visitors.
- Joseph Stamp was an Elkhart dentist for 60 years until his death in 1978. What was he famous for collecting?
Teeth, Stamp preserved thousands of pulled teeth and kept them in a barrel in his basement. Eventually Stamp cemented the teeth into a block, adding more as he collected them.
- In computer programming language, Nappanee would be considered a what?
A doubloon, a unique occurrence where every letter appears exactly twice in a single word.
- Indiana’s oldest continually operating grist mill is located where?
Bristol, Indiana is the location of Bonneyville Mill which was established in 1832.
- In 2013, Elkhart Community School students broke what world record?
2,202 students from Elkhart Community Schools won the world record for largest game of tag.
The new record is 10,908 people held by a group in Japan.
- What is the largest land dwelling salamander in Elkhart County?
The Tiger Salamander is the largest land dwelling salamander in Elkhart County, but also in the world. Tiger salamanders grow to be between 6 and 13 inches.
The largest salamander in the world is the strictly aquatic, Chinese Giant Salamander. These salamanders can grow to be more than 3.5 feet in length.
- What is now known as the Old Bag Factory in Goshen was originally built to make what?
Cosmo Buttermilk Soap Company was built in 1896 to manufacture laundry soap, bathing soap, and toilet paper.
- How many Olympic/Paralympic athletes were born in Elkhart County?
5!
Joel Voelkert- Handball. Voelkert graduated from Elkhart High School and 8 years later qualified for the 1972 Summer Olympics. Voelkert played in all 5 Handball matches. The USA finished 14 out of 16 teams.
Kathy Vogt- Speed Skating. Although she eventually moved to Canada, she was born in Elkhart County. She skated for Team Canada in both the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympics.
Lindsay Benko – Swimming. The first Elkhart born Olympian to win a medal, actually 1 gold medal in 2000 for the 4×200 meter freestyle relay, another gold in 2004 for the 4X200 meter freestyle relay, and a silver that same year in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay.
Dalton Herendeen- Swimming. Herendeen is actually a two time Paralympian, qualifying in both the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic games.
Sam Grewe- Track and Field. Grewe, a graduate of Northridge High School, brought home a silver medal for a 1.86 meter jump in the High Jump at the 2016 Paralympic games.
