A recent congressional candidate and native of Warsaw is trying to end the historical uncertainty behind the origin of the state’s “Hoosier” nickname. The answer, says JD Miniear, may very well involve the legend of Harry Hoosier. While many stories about the supposed origin of the term Hoosier have been debunked and others continue to be carried on, historians have struggled to document how the nickname came to be, leaving the door open for plenty of speculation. Miniear, an Indianapolis area mortgage broker who is closely aligned with conservative politics in central Indiana, contends Harry Hoosier is the basis for the state nickname and made the topic an issue during his campaign for the 7th Congressional District, which includes much of Indianapolis. While his campaign included the typical legislative agenda (he worries about the energy grid, for example), Miniear voiced his support for Harry Hoosier and told voters he would address the connection with the state of Indiana on the floor of the House if elected. Ultimately, he finished third in the Republican primary, but he and his wife, Kristina, are continuing a campaign of sorts to spread the word about the legend of Harry Hoosier. “We’re convinced,” said Miniear of his belief in the connection. Harry Hoosier was a well-known black Methodist evangelist from the late 1700s who grew up illiterate and spelled his name various ways, including Hosier and Hoosier. He died about 1806. A freed slave, he worked as a preacher primarily in Philadelphia and parts of the Mid-Atlantic and southern states as well as Appalachia. Nearly a dozen different theories abound on how the state nickname came to be, but none have gained any strong credibility. There was the belief that the term originated from a fight when somebody’s ear was cut off and somebody yelled “Who’s ear?” Or the suggestion that the term came from how Indiana residents would answer to a knock at the door by saying, “Who’s there?” Miniear agrees with historical accounts that suggest the term Hoosier implied one was simple or backward and takes it a step further and says the term is based on Harry himself who was likely looked down upon by many whites. Miniear said he believes the derogatory term started in southern states and eventually made it to Indiana where it was used to identify residents of the state. He encourages anyone interested in the debate to “come up with your own conclusions,” but points out that a lot of the popular theories have been debunked, leaving Harry Hoosier up for debate. Miniear says the debunking of some of the bigger arguments combined with the history of Harry Hoosier set the stage for arguments supporting the Harry Hoosier theory. “Ultimately, you’ve got to make your own conclusions. We’re just trying to point out an amazing man with an incredible legacy who faced a lot of odds in his life.” “The term Hoosier was in Carolina in the late 1700s and early 1800s and it was synonymous with illiterate, kind of back-woodsy, uncouth. To those people, that’s what Harry Hoosier was,” he said. Miniear and his wife have researched Hoosier’s life and traveled to North Carolina and Pennsylvania, including a visit to St. George’s United Methodist Church, which includes a museum on Methodist history, in Philadelphia. Methodists began reaching out to African Americans in the 1780s, a move that proved popular with blacks, but brought with it racial tensions. By 1796, Harry Hoosier became a preacher and led African Zoar M.E. Church in Philadelphia, which attracted disaffected black congregants, according to a website the tracks the history of the church. Racial tensions were more evident further to the west as they traveled. “He was ruffling feathers. They loved him up in Delaware and Philadelphia because you’re talking about free states. But in the south, a Methodist black going to North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, they didn’t cotton up and he still had the courage and he still won thousands over to the lord,” Miniear said during a recent visit to Warsaw. The Indiana Historical Society’s website looks at how Hoosier became the state nickname. While it touts a few possibilities, it also debunks a handful as well, but does not mention Harry Hoosier. Efforts to publicize the legend of Harry Hoosier and his significance in the nickname got a boost this year after the Indiana Bicentennial Commission included it as one of 1,300 legacy projects for the year-long celebration. The Harry Hoosier Project, according to the commission’s website, “examines the life and legacy of the Great Awakening Era Methodist preacher from whom some historians claim we get our state’s nickname.” The project is an effort to highlight the works and legacy of Hoosier through videos, audio, recording, pictures, text and presentations, according to the website. The inclusion, though, does not mean the bicentennial commission supports the notion that Harry Hoosier is the basis for the Hoosier nickname. “It adds legitimacy to the debate,” said Perry Hammock, executive director of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission. “We don’t weigh in on whether a project is right or wrong,” Hammock said. “Maybe it’s better that there’s not a specific, final formal answer because it lets us all talk about our shared experiences. “It gives us something to talk about over a cup of coffee,” he said. Nonetheless, Miniear and his wife continue to promote their contentions. A collection of photos and other details are now part of his Republican website, www.inrasuperpac.com. The Miniears dovetail the story of Harry Hoosier when evangelizing. Kristina Miniear is a pastor and he is a Gideon. When spreading The Word in parts of Indianapolis, they often bring up the topic of Harry Hoosier. African Americans who they meet with are often excited to hear of the apparent revelation. “We think it’s part of a legacy that the African American people really need to have and grab on to,” Kristina said.
