[69 DAYTONA]

New Castle, Indiana

...largest highschool fieldhouse in the world, seats 10,000 people (town population is only 15K)...my father in law helped build it in 1959

...one of the oldest Chrysler plants in the world (gone a few years now), it was a Maxwell Plant before Walter P. Chrysler bought it...I graduated from "Walter P. Chrysler Memorial High School"

...Indiana Basketball Hall Of Fame is located here

...several pro basketball players, latest being Steve Alford, played for IU, played in the olympics, currently coaches at New Mexico

...home of "Modernfold"...the vinyl folding door, big in the 1950s and 1960s, was invented in my sons basement(before he owned the house)

...David Lee Roth (Van Halen) lived and went to school here when he was a kid, my kids went to the same school

...KFC, Colonel Sanders used to visit friends here and stayed around town quite a bit

...1930s criminal John Dillinger hid out here just before his demise

...at least 3 local girls have appeared in Playboy

...last live performance by 1960s super group, Vanilla Fudge, was in our fieldhouse..there were only about 30-40 people, me included, in attendance...local radio station paid the group $10K plus expenses, sold a couple hundred dollars worth of tickets and nearly went bankrupt

...the old "Tank Seafood Restaurant" was a favorite of all the Indy 500 drivers during the month of May...all the famous drivers were here in the 1950s and 1960s to eat and drink

...Ingersol Steel was here in our town, the last remaining member of the Ingersol family is my neighbor

...there are quite a few more I can think of, but this is enough to bore anyone not from New Castle

...Pontiacs claim to fame in New Castle, Arnie Beswick visits my garage

[mike nixon]

Largest Antique Engine and Tractor Show in the world [or so it's advertised as]

Leon Ames, actor, founder of Screen Actors Guild in 1933
Stephanie Arnold, competed in Women's Archery in the 2004 Olympics
Pete Brewster, professional football player
Kevin A. Ford, astronaut, piloted NASA space shuttle mission to International Space Station in 2009
Elwood Haynes (born in Portland, 1857) invented the clutch-driven automobile in 1894
Jack Imel, television producer, Lawrence Welk Show
Mary Meeker (born in Portland, 1960) investment banker, made Internet economically viable by promoting it to investors in the 1990s, (becoming known as the "Queen of the Internet")
Twyla Tharp, Emmy and Tony Award-winning choreographer
Richard T. James, Indiana State Representative, State Auditor 2x, Lt. Governor 44-48

Sheller Globe corp made steering wheels here for YEARS.
Moser Engineering.
Dillinger was known to frequent the area, camped in my woods for a summer, Grandad talked to him several times.

In the 80's it was known for having a happening streetracing scene.

[MikeNoun]

Our humble town has been ranked in the Top 100 Best Places to live in America for the past several years (CNN Money Magazine), and the highest ranked in Illinois for 7 years straight.

But we're better known over the last few years for the trial of ex-cop Drew Peterson, whose last wife disappeared, and wife before that died a mysterious death in a bathtub, and two girlfriends before that claimed that Drew threatened to kill them. Peterson lived about a mile from us, and I used to see him on his Harley now and then. For quite a while, we got to see (and hear) a dozen news helicopters a day flying over our house to land at our local airstrip, and do live reports from the Peterson house.

When I'm out of state, and we want to make friends, I say I'm from Illinois.

When I'm out of state, and we prefer to be left alone, I say we're from Chicago. For some reason, people either have a "don't screw with this guy" reaction, or they immediately begin talking about our Chicago politics screwed up the nation.

Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by MikeNoun

Our humble town has been ranked in the Top 100 Best Places to live in America for the past several years (CNN Money Magazine), and the highest ranked in Illinois for 7 years straight.

Mike, I heard just last week on a conservative radio talk show, some periodical did a poll or survey of the ten Most Miserable cities to live, and Chicago was about 4th or 5th on the list after Detroit and Flint. Rockford, Ill was also on it.
NYC was 9th or 10th.

[Mattman]

Originally Posted by Bob Hall

Something about a little spat in some farm fields.

Wasn't that spat ADRESSED?

[Evil Stu]

Halifax, Nova Scotia. A quaint east coast drinking town with a serious fishing problem.

[jetallman]

Mark Twain and the leer jet founder, Molly Brown and they even patented the phrase America's Hometown. Hannibal Mo

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by goatless

Chris, you've pretty well got it covered.. but you forgot to mention that Scrabble was invented here and that Charles Goodyear invented the vulcanization process at the upper mill on the Pootatuck River.

I didn't know that!

[Motor Daddy]

Chittenango, NY, the land of Oz.

A quote from the Wiki link, that I did not know until now, and it's freaky:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chittenango,_New_York

"The name of the village is derived from the Oneida name for Chittenango Creek, Chu-de-nääng′, meaning "where the sun shines out."

[PMD1969]

Frisco TX. The nations best school district along with the hottest soccer mommies on the planet.

[sdbob]

Latrobe,Pa.
1.Rolling Rock Beer---its gone!
2.Kennametal---basically no (as in yrs ago)production!
3. Rogers Foundation-Mr Rogers etc.still supporting the area.
4.Home of the first Banana Split at Stricklers Drug Store.
5.Birth place of 'paid-professional football'. The town rich didn't want the Pro
Football Hall of Fame. Go figure
6.St Vincent College with the Steelers.
7. Arnie Palmer
8.Latrobe Construction bought the first production Gradall in the late 40's.

[69goatboy]

Cincinnati:
Birth place of Charles Mason
Pete Rose
Steven Spielberg
Roger Staubach
Launching pad of the public and political career of Jerry Springer
Hometown of Tara Patrick (Carmen Electra)
German food
P&G
outstanding High School Football
Lousy to mediocre (but highly celebrated) professional football
and of course,

The birth of the first professional baseball team: The Cincinnati Redlegs.

[The Champ]

Hibbing, MN

Home of the the "Hull Rust Pit" - biggest operating open pit iron ore mine in the world, more than three miles long, two miles wide and 535 feet deep.





"This man-made "Grand Canyon of the North" was the first strip mine on the Mesabi Iron Range. The amazing view continues to grow as the Hibbing Taconite Company Mine expands its mining operations. Rotary drills, 33-cubic-yard shovels and 240-ton production trucks can been seen in action at this National Historic Site. Occasionally, you'll be able to witness a mining dynamite blast used to clear bedrock away to get to the iron ore."

The majority of the iron ore used in the making of armaments for WWI and WWII came from within a 40 mile radius of my hometown.

Ironically, the original townsite of Hibbing was sitting on this deposit of iron ore, so the mining company literally bought the whole town, sold the buildings back to the original owners (if they wanted to move them) for $1.00.

In exchange for demolishing the elementary and the high schools, the mining company built a new school - kindergarten through 2nd year of college. It was built in 1920 at a cost of $4,000,000.00. It was handicapped accessible when built (elevator), had 2 indoor gymnasiums, an indoor track, swimming pool and an audititorium that seated 2200 - whit italian crystal chandliers, theater style velvet seats, hand painted murals....





We're also the boyhood home of Bobby Dylan and the birthplace of Roger Maris and Gary Pucket (& the Union Gap).

The Greyhound busline was also founded here. I used to deliver the local newspaper to Andrew (Bus Andy) Anderson who was one of the founders. Originally started using a 1914 Hupmobile to transport miners from the town to the mine...

[barrierblue66]

My hometown, Carteret, NJ, bordered by the NJTP and Staten Island, with oil refineries to the north and south. Not known for much, nice place to grow up though.

Current town known for the birthplace of Wake Forest University, but has since moved to Winston-Salem. The old campus is now the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

[Motor Daddy]

Originally Posted by barrierblue66

My hometown, Carteret, NJ, bordered by the NJTP and Staten Island, with oil refineries to the north and south. Not known for much, nice place to grow up though.

Current town known for the birthplace of Wake Forest University, but has since moved to Winston-Salem. The old campus is now the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I live just a few miles from Wake Forest, and I love the area. I'm guessing you do too?

[barrierblue66]

I do. Very similar to where we moved from in Ocean county, NJ, just a little more hilly, which I like too. We are just north of where all the congestion ends on Capitol. Judging by the clearing of trees on Hwy 98, this could be the next up and coming area.

[2002Z4CSS]

Not far from Detroit...the murder capital of the USA.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by barrierblue66

My hometown, Carteret, NJ,

Also home to racer and engine builder Pat Musi.

K

[pggto]

Port Washington, WI. Home of the worlds largest one day fish fry! Fish Day

[limejudge69]

Originally Posted by pggto

Port Washington, WI. Home of the worlds largest one day fish fry! Fish Day

I always liked stopping at the McDonald's on the way to Sheboygan. They always had 'test' items that corporate was trying out. You never knew what kind of weird items they might have.