Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Welcome to Brazil - Indiana, USA



Brazil, Indiana was founded in 1866. It received its name from a local farm that was named Brazil. The farm was given its name in the 1840s because Brazil was often in the news at the time.

This colorful billboard is probably from the late 1950s or 1960s. The famous "Chafariz Dos Contos" is still there. This is a fountain that was a 1956 friendship gift from Brazil, South America. It is a replica of a fountain built in 1745 in Ouro Preto, Brazil.

The billboard advertised that Brazil was the "clay products center of the world." Brazil is no longer a clay products center, but in the past there were nine clay product plants within a couple of miles of Brazil. The plants made products like electrical conduits, hollow tile, silo block, face brick, interlocking brick and block, paving brick, sewer pipe, wall coping, chimney tops and bowls, segment blocks, fire clay stove pipe fittings, flue lining, drain tile and common brick.


I'm participating in Signs, Signs




13 comments:

  1. a wonderful name for a town. i like this vintage looking sign.

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  2. I'm thinking the soil there must contain lots of clay, not that great for gardening or farming. I could be wrong though!

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  3. There's a new condo going up near me. It's called San Francisco On The Bay. I live in Pickering, Ontario. Go figure.

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  4. Love this and I want to go to the city just for its name. (I actually have a collection of pictures of odd/misplaced city names which I am going to put together sometime for a post...(so many ideas so little time ;>)

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  5. i would have thoughyt they farmed brazil nuts.

    http://ewok1993.wordpress.com

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  6. I like Sallie's idea for mis-placed names! Great post.

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  7. a palm tree in Indiana... that would be funny to see!

    word verification is 'gyrate'!! very Brazilian!

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  8. and the fountain is made of granite. I find that ironic (or is it just me?)

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  9. Sounds like a place I'd like to visit!

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  10. FIrst time I've seen that sign. I live in in Brazil, Indiana, and have all my life (31 yrs). Brazil used to have a lot of clay product plants, but that's not the case anymore. For the most part, the soil here is just like the soil anywhere else. The fountain is still around, though. It's at the southwest entrance of Forest Park.

    http://www.brazil.in.gov/Park/Chafariz%20dos%20contos%20fountain.htm

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  11. Such variety in US place names, your explanation of Brazil shows that sometimes it is not the obvious.

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  12. Olá, Sou Junior brasileiro de São Paulo. Adorei saber que existe uma cidade nos Estados Unidos com o nome do nosso país parabéns!
    Nós brasileiros temos orgulho do nosso país e o nome é realmente lindo.
    Abraços brasileiros irmãos americanos.

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