The following paragraphs give some information about most of theState Symbols and Adoptions in the General Statutes of North Carolina.Many of the entries were substantially revised and updated in 2007, andnew pictures were added where possible. Statistical information wasdrawn from state or federal government sources. Thumbnails link tolarger pictures, most of which are in the public domain (except wherenoted). The text of Session Laws prior to 1983 are provided by theState Library of North Carolina; acts passed in 1983 and subsequentlyare linked to the N.C. General Assembly website.
Statutes about the State Symbols are from the N.C. General Assembly website (http://www.ncleg.net)
Chapter 144 - State Flag, Official Governmental Flags, Motto, and Colors.
Chapter 145 - State Symbols and Other Official Adoptions.
Chapter 147-26 (State Seal)
Chapter 149 - State Song and Toast.
MLA Handbook style for citation purposes:
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"The State Symbols." NC Encyclopedia. 2007. State Library of North Carolina. 05/15/2007 <http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/symbols/symbols.htm>.
Information about MLA and other formats may be found at http://citationmachine.net/. (The Citation Machine Web site is not affiliated or endorsed by the State Library of North Carolina.)
In 2001, the General Assembly named the strawberry as the official Red Berry ofNorth Carolina, and named the blueberry as the official Blue Berry of the state(Session laws, 2001, c. 488).
Strawberries (genus fragaria) are high in Vitamin C and A, and supply 8% of theRDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), for Iron. There are only 60 calories in a cup of fresh berries and zero gramsof fat. A cup of blueberries (genus vaccinium) supplies 50% of the RDA for Vitamin C,as well as 22% of the fiber recommended for a healthy diet.
The session law itself explains how important these two berries are to the agricultural economyof the state. In the year 2005, strawberries brought in over $19,000,000, while the blueberry createdover $37,000,000 in revenues. According to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolinawas ranked 4th in the nation in 2005 in both blueberry and strawberry production.
Both berries are grown throughout the state, and consumers can pick their own berriesat farms from one end of the North Carolina to the other. The NC Department of Agricultureprovides a list of pick-your-own farms at NC Farm Fresh.
More information
- Ranking of agricultural commodities (from the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
- NC Farm Fresh
- Blueberry Fun Page (from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)
- Strawberry Fun Page (from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)
The General Assembly of 1987 adopted milk as the official State Beverage. (Session Laws, 1987, c. 347).
In making milk the official state beverage, North Carolina followed17 other states, including both South Carolina and Virginia.
According to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and ConsumerServices, North Carolina ranks 30th among dairy producing states in thenation, producing just over 1,000,000 pounds of milk per year. Incomein 2005 from milk production was approximately $164 million.
More information
- Ranking of agricultural commodities (from the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
- Dairy statistics (from the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
- Livestock and Animals (Statistics from the USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service)
The Cardinal was selected by popular choice as our State Bird on March 4, 1943. (Session Laws, 1943. c. 595).
The Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is sometimes calledthe Winter Redbird because it is most noticeable during the winter whenit is the only "redbird" present. A year-round resident of NorthCarolina, the Cardinal is one of the most common birds in our gardens,meadows, and woodlands. The male Cardinal is red all over, except forthe area of its throat and the region around its bill which is black;it is about the size of a Catbird only with a longer tail. The head isconspicuously crested and the large stout bill is red. The female ismuch duller in color with the red confined mostly to the crest, wings,and tail. This difference in coloring is common among many birds. Sinceit is the female that sits on the nest, her coloring must blend morewith her natural surroundings to protect her eggs and young frompredators. There are no seasonal changes in her plumage.
The Cardinal is a fine singer, and what is unusual is that thefemale sings as beautifully as the male. The male generally monopolizesthe art of song in the bird world.
The nest of the Cardinal is rather an untidy affair built ofweed stems, grass and similar materials in low shrubs, small trees orbunches of briars, generally not over four feet above the ground. Theusual number of eggs set is three in this State and four farther North.Possibly the Cardinal raises an extra brood down here to make up thedifference, or possibly the population is more easily maintained hereby the more moderate winters compared to the colder North.
The Cardinal is by nature a seed eater, but will also eat small fruits and insects.
More information
The General Assembly of 1987 adopted the shad boat as the official State Historical Boat. (Session Laws, 1987, c. 366).
The Shad Boat was developed on Roanoke Island and is known for itsunique crafting and maneuverability. The name is derived from that ofthe fish it was used to catch - the shad.
Traditional small sailing craft were generally ill-suited tothe waterways and weather conditions along the coast. The shallow draftof the Shad Boat plus its speed and easy handling made the boat idealfor the upper sounds where the water was shallow and the weatherchanged rapidly. The boats were built using native trees such ascypress, juniper, and white cedar, and varied in length betweentwenty-two and thirty-three feet. Construction was so expensive thatthe production of the Shad Boat ended in the 1930s, although they werewidely used into the 1950s. The boats were so well constructed thatsome, nearly 100 years old, are still seen around Manteo and Hatteras.
The Museum of the Albemarle embarked on a project in 1995 to restore a shad boat to working condition:
http://www.northeast-nc.com/moa/shadboat.cfm
The General Assembly of 2005 adopted the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) as the official State Carnivorous Plant (Session Laws, 2005, c. 74) .
Though it is known and cultivated throughout the world, it is nativeonly to a small area of the Coastal Plain in North and South Carolina(mostly within a 75 mile radius around Wilmington).
The trap is activated when an insect (or other object) brushes 2 ormore times against bristles that grow on the surface of the leaf. Thetrap springs shut in less than a second, but doesn't close completelyuntil it has determined (either chemically or through movement) if ithas caught worthwhile food. If it has, the trap gradually sealscompletely shut, allowing digestion to take place. It reopens in 3 daysto 2 weeks.
The Venus Flytrap is currently listed as a Species of SpecialConcern, which means, "...any species of plant in North Carolina whichrequires monitoring but which may be collected and sold underregulations adopted under the provisions of this Article" (NCGS 106-202.12).It is also listed as Vulnerable on the Red List from the InternationalUnion for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Thismeans that it is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
More information
- List of Species of Special Concern (from the the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
- Venus Flytrap (USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 22 February 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.)
- IUCN Red List entry
The General Assembly of 2005 adopted the Fraser Fir as the official Christmas Tree for the State of North Carolina (Session Laws, 2005, c. 387).
This law is the result of the hard work of Eighth Grade students atHarris Middle School in Spruce Pine, who researched the economic impactof the Fraser Fir industry on the state, and suggested this species asa new state symbol.
The Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) derives its name fromJohn Fraser, a Scottish botanist who explored the Appalachian Mountainsin the 1700's, and was a collaborator and competitor with Andre Michaux(see Carolina Lilyon this page). Fraser firs, which are native to the AppalachianMountains, can reach a height of 80 feet and may have trunks as largeas 18 inches in diameter.
The Fraser Fir can take as long as 12 years to grow to retailChristmas Tree height (6-7 feet), and will be visited by the growermore than 100 times during its life. The Fraser Fir has been chosen 9times since 1971 (most recently in 2005) as the White House ChristmasTree, and constitutes more than 90% of Christmas tree production inNorth Carolina.
More information
- Fraser fir Quick Facts (From the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
- Common Forest Trees of North Carolina (See page 16)
Colors, Red and Blue
The General Assembly of 1945 declared Red and Blue of shadesappearing in the North Carolina State Flag and the American Flag as theofficial State Colors. (Session Laws, 1945, c. 878).
No specific meanings have been attached to the colors. However, the following paragraphs are copied from page 41 of Our Flag,published by the U.S. Government Printing Office in 1997, under theauspices of the Joint Committee on Printing in the United StatesCongress:
In heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specificmeaning. Even colors have specific meanings. The colors red, white, andblue did not have meanings for the Stars and Stripes when it wasadopted in 1777. However, the colors in the Great Seal did havespecific meanings. Charles Thompson, Secretary of the ContinentalCongress, reporting to Congress on the Seal, stated:
"The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in theflag of the United States of America; White signifies purity andinnocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of theChief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance,perseverance & justice."
More information
- Our Flag (from the U.S. Government Printing Office) -- pdf file 1.78 MB
Dances, Clogging; the Shag
The General Assembly of 2005 adopted Clogging as the official folk dance, and Shagging as the official popular dance. (Session Laws, 2005, c. 218)
Clogging (the name of which derives from the Gaelic word for "time")is the name of a distinctive dance style which originated in theAppalachian mountains. Settlers from Northern and Western Europe (suchas Holland, Germany, and the British Isles) brought their respectivefolk dance traditions to the colonies, which were further shaped byNative American and African American dance influences. These influencesall combined and evolved into a percussive "foot-tapping" style ofdance now known as Clogging. In the 1920's, Bascom Lamar Lunsford addedteam clogging to the competitions held at his annual Mountain Dance andFolk Festival in Asheville, thus helping to establish Clogging as asignificant part of Appalachian cultural heritage.
The Shag is of much more recent origin, being a type of swing dancethat developed in the 1930's and 40's. Shagging, combining nimblefootwork with upbeat rhythm and blues (known as Beach music) originatedat open air beach parties on the North and South Carolina coasts, andis also the official dance for the State of South Carolina.
More information
The Plott Hound was officially adopted as the State Dog on August 12, 1989. (Session Laws, 1989, c. 773).
The Plott Hound breed of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)originated in the mountains of North Carolina around 1750 and is theonly breed known to have originated in this State. Named for JonathanPlott who developed the breed as a wild boar hound, the Plott Hound isa legendary hunting dog known as a courageous fighter and tenacioustracker. The Plott Hound is also a gentle and extremely loyal companionto hunters of North Carolina. The Plott Hound is very quick of footwith superior treeing instincts and has always been a favorite ofbig-game hunters.
The Plott Hound has a beautiful brindle-colored coat and aspine-tingling, bugle-like call. It is also only one of four breedsknown to be of American origin.
The American Kennel Club recognized the Plott Hound as adistinctive breed in 1998, and added it to the Hound group (that is,made it eligible for competition) in 2007.
The State of North Carolina has four official festivals.
In 1993, the General Assembly adopted the Hertford County Watermelon Festival as the official Northeastern North Carolina Watermelon Festival (Session Laws, 1993, c. 212).
In 1993, the General Assembly also designated the Fair Bluff Watermelon Festival as the official Southeastern North Carolina Watermelon Festival (Session Laws, 1993, c. 212).
In 2003, the General Assembly designated Folkmoot USA as the official State International Festival (Session Laws, 2003, c. 315).
In 2007, the General Assembly designated the Ayden Collard Festival as the official State Collard Festival (Session Laws, 2007, c. 28).
The General Assembly of 1971 designated the Channel Bass (Red Drum) as the official State Salt Water Fish. (Session Laws, 1971, c. 274).
Channel Bass (Sciaenops ocellatus) usually found in largenumbers along the Tar Heel coastal waters and have been found to weighup to 75 pounds although most large ones average between 30 and 40pounds.
More information
- Profile of N.C. fishing industry (Channel Bass begins page 34)
- Red Drum (from NC Fisheries)
Follow the evolution of the State Flag of North Carolina here. The statutes relating to the flag are in the N.C. General Statutes, Chapter 144.
In 2007, the General Assembly approved the language for an Official Salute to the State Flag of North Carolina (Session Laws, 2007, c. 36).
The General Assembly of 1941 designated the dogwood as the State Flower. (Session Laws , 1941, c. 289).
The Dogwood (Cornus florida) is one of the most prevalenttrees in North Carolina and can be found in all parts of the State fromthe mountains to the coast. Its blossoms, which appear in early springand continue on into summer, are most often found in white, althoughshades of pink and red are not uncommon.
More information
- Common Forest Trees of North Carolina (See page 82)
- Dogwood (USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 22 February 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.)
The General Assembly of 2005 named the Southern Appalachian BrookTrout as the official Freshwater Trout for the State of North Carolina (Session Laws, 2005, c. 387).
The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)is a genetically distinct species that is North Carolina's only nativefreshwater trout. Sometimes known as "specks" because of their uniquespotted appearance, the Brook trout is a favorite of sport fishermen inthe cold mountain streams of Western North Carolina, as well as inTennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky.
More information
- Brook trout profile (from the N.C. Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources)
- Brook trout profile (from FishBase)
- Conserving the Eastern Brook Trout (from the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture)
The General Assembly of 2001 named the Scuppernong grape as the official State Fruit (Session laws,2001, c. 488).
The Scuppernong (vitis rotundifolia) is a variety of muscadine grape, and hasthe distinction of being the first grape ever actively cultivated in the UnitedStates. It was named for the Scuppernong River, which runs from Washington Countyto the Albemarle Sound. Giovanni de Verrazano noticed this variety as far back as 1524, andexplorers for Sir Walter Raleigh (orRalegh, as it's sometimes spelled) in the 1580’s sent back reports from the Outer Banks of grape vines that “…covered every shrub and climbed the tops of high cedars. In all theworld, a similar abundance was not to be found.” The Roanoke colonistsare credited with discovering the Scuppernong “Mother Vineyard,” a vine that is now over 400 years old andcovers half an acre.
Grape cultivation (of scuppernong and other varieties) is asmall but growing partof the North Carolina economy. According to a 2007 press release fromGovernor Easley's office, North Carolina is now ranked tenth in thenation for both grape and wine production, and the industry produces$813 million a year for the state's economy.
More information
- Economic Impact of North Carolina Wine and Grapes 2005 (from the N.C. Dept. of Commerce)
- 2007 Governor's press release
- NC Wine.org
The General Assembly of 1973 designated the Honey Bee as the official State Insect. (Session Laws, 1973, c.55).
The Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) is responsible for theannual production of more than $1 million worth of honey in the state,according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.However, the greatest value of Honey Bees is their role in the growingcycle as a major contributor to the pollination of North Carolinacrops. According to a 2005 estimate, honey bees account forapproximately $154 million in annual crop productivity in NorthCarolina.
More information
- Honeybee (N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences)
- Honey production (from the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
- Beekeeping Note 3.14 (from the the NCSU Dept. of Entomology)
The General Assembly of 1969 designated the Gray Squirrel as the official State Mammal. (Session Laws, 1969, c. 1207).
The gray squirrel is a common inhabitant of most areas of NorthCarolina from "the swamps of eastern North Carolina to the uplandhardwood forests of the piedmont and western counties." The squirrelfeels more at home in an "untouched wilderness" environment, althoughmany squirrels inhabit city parks and suburbs. During the fall andwinter months the gray squirrel survives on a diet of hardwoods, withacorns providing carbohydrates and proteins. In the spring and summer,their diet consists of "new growth and fruits" supplemented by earlycorn, peanuts, and insects.
More information
- Nature Notebook (from the N.C. Museum of Natural Science)
- Working with Wildlife (from the Division of Forest Resources in the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Military Academy, Oak Ridge Military Academy
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Motto, Esse Quam Videri (To be rather than to seem)
The General Assembly of 1893 adopted the words "Esse Quam Videri" asthe State's motto and directed that these words with the date "20 May,1775," be placed with our Coat of Arms upon the Great Seal of the State(Session Laws 1893, c. 145).
The motto is a literal translation of a phrase from a sentence inCicero's "On Friendship" (De Amicitia, chapter 26). The completesentence in Latin is:
Virtute enim ipsa non tam multi praediti esse quam videri volunt (see below for translations).
Until the act of 1893, North Carolina had no motto, being one of thefew states--and the only one of the original thirteen--without one.
Translations and original essay:
"Fewer possess virtue, than those who wish us to believe that they possess it." (Cicero Quotes)
"The fact is that fewer people are endowed with virtue than wish to be thought to be so." (Shuckburgh translation)
"...[N]ot nearly so many people want actually to be possessed of virtue as want to appear to be possessed of it." (from On Old Age and On Friendship, trans. by Frank Copley, Ann Arbor, U Mich. Press, 1967, p. 87).
"...[F]or the Numbers of the really virtuous are not so great, as they appear to be." (from M.T. Cicero, His Offices, trans. by William Guthrie, Esq., London, T. Waller, 1755, p. 317).
De Amicitia (Entire essay in Latin)
- Name (Carolina) and Nicknames (The Old North State or The Tar Heel State)
Carolina
The word Carolina comes from Carolus, the Latin form of the name Charles.
In 1629, King Charles I granted territory in America to his Attorney General, Sir Robert Heath, to be named Carolina, or the province of Carolina (though later in the same charter the province is referred to as Carolana or New Carolana).
The province was to be comprised of all the land lying between"the Ocean upon the east side & soe to the west & soe fare asthe Continent extends itselfe...." The northern border was to be the36th parellel (roughly on a line from Kill Devil Hills to KnoxvilleTn.). The southern border was the 31st parellel, thus extending throughmost of Georgia (the state border between Florida and Alabama followsthis line of latitude).
In 1663, King Charles II granted a new charter to the LordsProprietors for the same territory. Two years later, the charterexpanded the colony north to 36° 30', thus reaching approximately tothe current NC/Va border, and south to 29° N latitude (just south ofDaytona Beach).
The Old North State
The Carolina colony was divided in 1710, when the LordsProprietors appointed Edward Hyde to be "...Governour for NorthCarolina Independent of the Governour of South Carolina." The southernpart was called South Carolina and the older, northern settlement NorthCarolina. From this came the nickname the "Old North State."
The first known instance of the phrase is from the Introduction to Joseph Seawell Jones' book Defence of the Revolutionary History of the State of North Carolina from the Aspersions of Mr. Jefferson.
Tar Heel State
The origin of this nickname is mysterious, though mosthistorians agree that the name derives from North Carolina's longhistory as a producer of naval stores--tar, pitch, rosin andturpentine--all of which were culled from the State's extensive pineforests. The historians Hugh Lefler and Albert Newsome, in their book North Carolina: the History of a Southern State(3rd edition, 1973) state categorically that "[i]n fact, North Carolinaled the world in the production of naval stores from about 1720 to1870, and it was this industry which gave to North Carolina itsnickname, "Tar Heel State" (p. 97).
Various stories and legends have sprung up to explain where the name came from. Perhaps the most popular is found in Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-1865 (edited by Walter Clark):
Thus after one of the fiercest battles, in whichtheir supporting column was driven from the field and they successfullyfought it out alone, in the exchange of compliments of the occasion theNorth Carolinians were greeted with the question from the passingderelict regiment: "Any more tar down in the Old North State, boys?"Quick as thought came the answer: "No, not a bit; old Jeff's bought itall up." "Is that so; what is he going to do with it?" was asked. "heis going to put it on you'ns heels to make you stick better in the nextfight." (Vol. 3, p. 376)
The following paragraph appears in R.B. Creecy's Grandfather Tales of North Carolina History (1901):
During the late unhappy war between the States it [NorthCarolina] was sometimes called the "Tar-heel State," because tar wasmade in the State, and because in battle the soldiers of North Carolinastuck to their bloody work as if they had tar on their heels, and whenGeneral Lee said, "God bless the Tar-heel boys," they took the name.(p. 6)
While there may be no direct proof that Robert E. Lee ever spoke insuch a fashion, there is at least some indirect evidence. In a letterdating from 1864 (currently housed in the State Archives and part oftheir "Tar Heel Collection") from Colonel Joseph Engelhard describingthe Battle of Ream's Station in Virginia, he writes: "It was a ' TarHeel ' fight, and ... we got Gen'l Lee to thanking God, which you know means something brilliant."
More information
- Charter of 1629 (from the Avalon Project at Yale Law School)
- Charter of 1663 (from the Avalon Project at Yale Law School)
- Charter of 1665 (from the Avalon Project at Yale Law School)
- Creation of North Carolina Governor and Edward Hyde's Commission as Governor (from the Colonial Records of North Carolina -- pdf file)
- Defence of the Revolutionary History of the State of North Carolina from the Aspersions of Mr. Jefferson (from Google Books)
- Tar Heel Collection (from the State Archives of North Carolina -- files require DejaVu viewer)
Pottery birthplace, Seagrove area
The area centered around Seagrove (including portions of Randolph,Chatham, Moore, and Montgomery Counties) has been a center for pottersand pottery making for more than 250 years. Several families have beencreating pottery in this clay rich area of the Piedmont for ninegenerations.
So rich and unique is this heritage that an annual Seagrove Pottery Festival is held, and the North Carolina Pottery Center was opened in 1998 to promote and preserve the State's unique and longlastingcontribution to this craft.
The General Assembly of 1979 designated the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) as the official State Reptile for North Carolina. (Session Laws, 1979, c. 154).
The Eastern Box Turtle is found all along the East Coast, and as farinland as Michigan, Kansas, and Texas. The name derives from the boxturtle's ability to retract its head and legs into its shell and clampit shut, thus creating a protective "box." Eastern Box Turtles areomnivores, living on a varied diet of plants and plant roots, fish,snails, berries, fungi, snails, and even small birds or snakes. Someturtles may live to be over 100, though 40 - 60 years is the average.
The Eastern Box Turtle is listed as "Near Threatened" by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources(IUCN). While not officially considered Endangered or Vulnerable, thestatus of the Eastern Box Turtle should be monitored to avoid continuedpopulation decline.
More information:
- Eastern Box Turtle (from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences)
- Eastern Box Turtle (from the National Zoo in Washington DC)
- IUCN Red List entry
The General Assembly of 1979 designated Granite as the official Rock for the State of North Carolina. (Session Laws, 1979, c. 906).
The State of North Carolina has been blessed with an abundant sourceof "the noble rock," granite. Just outside Mount Airy in Surry Countyis the largest open face granite quarry in the world measuring one milelong and 1,800 feet in width. The granite from this quarry isunblemished, gleaming, and without interfering seams to mar itssplendor. The high quality of this granite allows its widespread use asa building material, in both industrial and laboratory applicationswhere supersmooth surfaces are necessary.
North Carolina granitehas been used for many magnificent edificies of government throughoutthe United States such as the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk,the gold depository at Fort Knox, the Arlington Memorial Bridge andnumerous courthouses throughout the land. Granite is a symbol ofstrength and steadfastness, qualities characteristic of NorthCarolinians. It is fitting and just that the State recognize thecontribution of granite in providing employment to its citizens andenhancing the beauty of its public buildings.
In 2004, North Carolina mined over 51 million metric tons of granite.
More information
- Mineral Yearbook 2004 (from the N.C. Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey)
The State Seal of North Carolina has seen many changes since its origins in 1663.
Trace the evolution of the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina.
Session laws:
The General Assembly of 1965 designated the Scotch Bonnet (pronounced bonay) as the State Shell. (Session Laws, 1965, c. 681).
First cataloged by Ingaz, Edler von Born, in 1778, the Scotch Bonnet (Phalium granulatum)is found along the the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Brazil.The shell was so named because of its resemblance to the caps worn byScottish peasants, and because the coloration resembles a Scottishplaid or tartan.
The Scotch Bonnet is a gastropod, in the same class with suchmollusks as snails, slugs, and limpets. It is abundant in NorthCarolina coastal waters at depths between 50 to 150 feet. The bestsource of live specimens is from offshore commercial fishermen.
More information
- Scotch Bonnet (from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission)
- Phalium Granulatum (from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)
Song, The Old North State
THE OLD NORTH STATE
(William Gaston; Collected and Arranged by Mrs. E. E. Randolph)Carolina! Carolina! heaven's blessings attend her,
While we live we will cherish, protect and defend her,
Tho' the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her,
Still our hearts swell with gladness whenever we name her.
Hurrah! Hurrah! the Old North State forever,
Hurrah! Hurrah! the good Old North State.Tho' she envies not others, their merited glory,
Say whose name stands the foremost, in liberty's story,
Tho' too true to herself e'er to crouch to oppression,
Who can yield to just rule a more loyal submission.
Hurrah! Hurrah! the Old North State forever,
Hurrah! Hurrah! the good Old North State.Then let all those who love us, love the land that we live in,
As happy a region as on this side of heaven,
Where plenty and peace, love and joy smile before us,
Raise aloud, raise together the heart thrilling chorus.
Hurrah! Hurrah! the Old North State forever,
Hurrah! Hurrah! the good Old North State.
Sheet music for two versions is available:
- The Old North State (arranged for piano, published by Alfred Williams & Co., ~1900) -- pdf file (1.1 MB)
- The Old North State (from Music in the Public Schools of North Carolina 1942, published by the Department of Public Instruction) -- pdf file (250 KB)
The General Assembly of 1973 designated the emerald as the official State Precious Stone. (Session Laws, 1973, c. 136).
A greater variety of minerals, more than 300, have been found in North Carolina than in any other state.
These minerals include some of the most valuable and unique gemsin the world. An emerald crystal weighing 1869 carats, thought to bethe largest ever found in North America, was unearthed in late 2003 ata mine in Hiddenite, near Statesville. A 71-carat stone found on thesame property yielded two finished stones--the 7.85 carat CarolinaPrince that sold for $500,000, and the Carolina Queen (18.88 carats).
More information on emeralds and minerology
- The Mineral Industry of North Carolina 2003 (from U.S. Geological Survey) -- mentions several emeralds from North Carolina
- The Mineral Industry of North Carolina 2004 (from U.S. Geological Survey) -- latest available report
- North Carolina Emeralds (commercial site)
The General Assembly of 1991 officially designated pattern known as the Carolina Tartan to be the official State Tartan (Session Laws, 1991, c. 85).
A unique blend of red, azure, black, yellow, green and white, theCarolina Tartan was first registered with the Scottish Tartans Societyin 1981, and is also the Official Tartan for South Carolina. The designis a variation of a tartan associated with two monarchs--King CharlesII, who gave his name to the Carolinas, and the honorary bodyguard ofKing George II, who designated both North and South Carolina as RoyalColonies in 1729. Large numbers of Scots helped to colonize theCarolinas in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the State is now home toa number of festivals, games, and organizations that celebrateCarolina's Scottish heritage, including the Flora MacDonald HighlandGames, the Scottish Tartan Museum, and the North Carolina ScottishHeritage Society.
Toast, The Tar Heel Toast
Here's to the land of the long leaf pine,
The summer land where the sun doth shine,
Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great,
Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!Here's to the land of the cotton bloom white,
Where the scuppernong perfumes the breeze at night,
Where the soft southern moss and jessamine mate,
'Neath the murmuring pines of the Old North State!Here's to the land where the galax grows,
Where the rhododendron's rosette glows,
Where soars Mount Mitchell's summit great,
In the "Land of the Sky," in the Old North State!Here's to the land where maidens are fair,
Where friends are true and cold hearts rare,
The near land, the dear land, whatever fate,
The blest land, the best land, the Old North State!
The pine was officially designated as the State Tree by the General Assembly of 1963. (Session Laws, 1963, c. 41).
Contraryto popular belief, no specific type of pine tree was specified in theSession Law. Eight types are considered indigenous to the state,including the eastern white, loblolly, longleaf, pitch, pond,shortleaf, table mountain, and virginia. The pine is the most common ofthe trees found in North Carolina, as well as the most important one inthe history of our State. During the Colonial and early Statehoodperiods, the pine was a vital part of the economy of North Carolina.From it came many of the "naval stores" - resin, turpentine, and timber- needed by merchants and the navy for their ships. The pine hascontinued to supply North Carolina with many important wood products,particularly in the building industry.
According to North Carolina Forests, 2002 (publishedby the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service), softwood species(like pine, hemlock, and spruce) made up 34% of the state's total woodvolume, with the loblolly pine being the predominant species.
Sources
- North Carolina Forests, 2002 (From the USDA)
- Common Forest Trees of North Carolina (See pages 6-13)
- Types of pine in North Carolina (USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 22 February 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.)
The sweet potato was officially designated the State Vegetable by the General Assembly of 1995. (Session Laws, 1995, c. 521).
Students at a Wilson County school petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly for the establishment of the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)as the Official State Vegetable. Their assignment led to the creationof this state symbol. The sweet potato is high in vitamins A and C andlow in fat and was grown in North Carolina before the Europeancolonization of North America.
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service,North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation,harvesting more than 700 million pounds of the vegetable in 2006, andthus providing more than 40% of the 1.6 billion pounds produced in theUnited States.
More information
- Sweet potato estimated yields by county (N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
- North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
- NASS QuickStats search page (US Dept. of Agriculture)
In 2003, the General Assembly designated the Carolina Lily (Lilium michauxii) as the official State wildflower (Session Laws, 2003, c. 426).
Named for Andre Michaux, a noted eighteenth century naturalist andexplorer, this flower grows throughout the state, from the forests andhills of Cherokee County to the coastal swamplands (pocosins) of Hydeand Pamlico Counties. The stem can grow up to 4 feet high, and can haveup to 6 flowers at the summit, though 1-3 are more common. The petalsare brilliant red-orange with brown spots, and arched back so that thetips overlap.
The Carolina Lily grows throughout the southeast, from WestVirginia to Florida, and can bloom as late as October, though it ismost prevalent in July and August.
More information
- Carolina Lily (USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 22 February 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.)
In addition to the citations appearing for individual symbols, thepreceding information was gathered from a number of sources, including:
- The session laws which created the symbols
- The biennial North Carolina Manual, published by the NC Department of the Secretary of State
- The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- The US Department of Agriculture
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