Crossroads of America

English

Etymology

Named for being the end point of several railroad lines and roughly centrally located in the United States.^[1] Coined by the National Geographic Society prior to 1925.^[2]

Proper noun

Crossroads of America

(US, informal) Indianapolis.
- 1907, “Business Session (Afternoon)”, in Proceedings of the Reunion of the Huntington Family, Huntington Family Association, page 32:
  I can't repeat it word for word, but she says that she thinks it would be helpful if the next reunion were in a more accessible spot because of the difficult of reaching Norwich by train or bus, and she suggests that Indianapolis, which is the crossroads of America, be the scene of the Ninth Huntington Family Reunion.
- 1926, Harmon E. Snoke, “Motorist Emblem Is New Courtesy Service”, in Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Activities, volume 41, number 4, page 28:
  WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS! The Crossroads of America.
- 1928 March, G. Schuyler Blue, “Indianapolis, The Crossroads of America, To Be Scene of Seventy-second Convention”, in The Rattle of Theta Chi, volume XVI, number 3, page 21:
- 1953, “Thursday, April 30, 1953”, in National Highway Study, United States Government Publishing Office, pages 169–170:
  Because of its location at the crossroads of America, Indianapolis is intensely aware of the tremendous problems concerning highways and vehicular traffic generally.
- [1995 December, “What's My Line?”, in Indianapolis Monthly, volume 19, number 5, Emmis Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 106:
  With all due respect to the guy who came up with our current city motto, The “Crossroads of America,” it's time for something a little catchier.]
- [2020 August 3, Rudy Schouten, The Historic Memorial District of Downtown Indianapolis, The History Press, →ISBN:
  The era marked the first in a long line of city initiatives to distinguish itself for its elemental sense of adaptability. Indianapolis became the “Railroad City,” and then, as those tracks began to stretch farther out and crisscross with more density, it became “The Crossroads of America.”]
(US, informal) Indiana.

References

^ Griffin, Donna (6 February 2023), Super Cities! Indianapolis, Arcadia Publishing Incorporated, →ISBN, page 5: “Indy’s location earned it the nickname “Crossroads of America.””
^ Cooper, Thea; Ainsberg, Arthur (14 September 2010), “The Crossroads of America, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1919–1921”, in Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle, New York, United States: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, page 122: “By 1925 Indianapolis would be dubbed “the Crossroads of America” by the National Geographic Society.”

[1] Griffin, Donna (6 February 2023), Super Cities! Indianapolis, Arcadia Publishing Incorporated, →ISBN, page 5: “Indy’s location earned it the nickname “Crossroads of America.””

[2] Cooper, Thea; Ainsberg, Arthur (14 September 2010), “The Crossroads of America, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1919–1921”, in Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle, New York, United States: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, page 122: “By 1925 Indianapolis would be dubbed “the Crossroads of America” by the National Geographic Society.”

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