Discovering Wonders At The IHS

Last week Nealy got her second tour of Indianapolis. Here was her itinerary:

Stop #1: Boyden's Bakery

Stop #2: City Cafe

Stop #3: Indiana Historical Society

Stop #4: The Flying Cupcake

Stop #5: Rocky Ripple, IN

Stop #6: Global Gifts

Stop #7: Downtown Antique Mall

Stop #8: Southport Antique Mall

Stop #9: Yollie's Oriental Market 

You should already know of the wonders that Boyden's has to offer so I will skip that to highlight a few of our other destinations. In the last few months I have been driving by the Indiana Historical Society on West and Ohio thinking of how I need to stop and see what it has to offer. Before doing so last week, I took a visit to their website. I discovered that it has historical exhibits, a library and a bookstore. 

During my research of this historical wonderland I was really beginning to anticipate a visit. But upon our entrance, we received some disappointing news - except for the library, the building was closed due to remodeling. However, this turned out to be a good thing as we spent over an hour reading quotes on the lobby floor and exploring the library. 

Here is a quote from The Indiana Book of Trivia by Fred Cavinder describing Indiana's 1907 solution to stopping stupid people from running rampant: "About 120 sterilizations were performed in Indiana under a 1907 law that permitted the procedure to curb reproduction by criminals, idiots, rapists and imbeciles. A sterilization victim's lawsuit overturned the law." 

As chuckles escape your mouth, a question may be tickling your brain. "What classifies an idiot or an imbecile?" The American Heritage Dictionary gives these definitions: 

Idiot - n. 1. A foolish or stupid person. 2. A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below three years and generally being unable to learn connected speech or guard against common dangers. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive. 

Imbecile - n. 1. A stupid or silly person; a dolt. 2. A person whose mental acumen is well below par. 3. A person of moderate to severe mental retardation having a mental age of from three to seven years and generally being capable of some degree of communication and performance of simple tasks under supervision. The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.