State symbols are meant to represent the cultural heritage and historic treasures of each of the nation's 50 states. There are the obvious if unimaginative ones — flag, seal, motto — and then there are the more obscure groups — state footwear, anyone? While some of these items do make a lot of sense (Texas' state footwear, for example, is, duh, the cowboy boot), others have a hazier connection to their respective states. Here, 13 of our favorites.
1. Rhode Island's (proposed) official state appetizer: Calamari
Perhaps you're familiar with the concept of official state foods? Maybe you've traveled to Maryland and enjoyed their blue crabs, or have heard of Georgia's famous fresh peaches? Well, a Rhode Island legislator wants his small ocean-side state to have an edible symbol all its own. Rep. Joseph McNamara believes his state should embrace a signature appetizer, specifically calamari. McNamara says the fact that the state has the largest squid fishing fleet and that its chefs transform the lowly cephalopods into a uniquely tasty delicacy makes the bill a no-brainer. And naming an official appetizer opens the door for so much more. "Who knows?" he said. "We might go on to entrees next year." Oklahoma, for its part, has already designated a whole state meal, consisting of fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken fried steak, black-eyed peas, and, if you have room for it, pecan pie.
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2. Massachusetts' (proposed) official state rock song: "Roadrunner"
Massachusetts already has an official folk song (Arlo Guthrie's "Massachusetts") and polka song ("Say Hello to Someone From Massachusetts"), but what's sorely missing is a head-banging rock option. Well, Joyce Linehan — a former band manager and campaigner for Sen. Elizabeth Warren — is trying to change that. With the support of Massachusetts Rep. Marty Walsh, Linehan began campaigning in February for a bill that would name the '70s band Modern Lovers' song "Roadrunner" the official state hard rock song. The song is about growing up in the Commonwealth and throws in several Boston references. The bill's Facebook page, which is trying to reach 123,456 likes, is currently up to 1,805.
3. Minnesota's (proposed) official state poem: "Minnesota Blue"
Considering the poem's name, plus the fact that it starts and ends with the verse "Minnesota, how I love you," Cordell Keith Haugen's homage to the Midwestern state might seem like a no-brainer. At least that's what Republican Sen. Bruce Anderson, who is backing the bill introduced in February, believes. But "Minnesota Blue" is a controversial pick, especially for Democratic Phyllis Kahn, who says the fact that Haugen, a singer/songwriter from Hawaii, isn't actually a Minnesotan is "particularly offensive." Good luck, "Minnesota Blue."
4. Arizona's official state firearm: Colt Single Action Army Revolver
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer officially made the Colt Single Action Army Revolver the state's firearm on April 28, 2011. The legislation came only months after the mass shooting in Tucson that nearly killed then-congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and left six others dead. Supporters of the bill, which narrowly made it through the state House, said there was nothing wrong with honoring a firearm's contribution to the state's western heritage. "Arizona was founded by rugged individuals who took care of themselves and did so largely with a [Colt] on their hip," said lobbyist Todd Rathner.
5. Kansas' (proposed) official state dog: Cairn terrier
During Dorothy's bizarre trip from Kansas to Oz and back again, her faithful companion Toto was forever by her side. Which is why the loyal and adorable cairn terrier is at the center of a bill, backed by a state representative and proposed in 2012, to make the breed the state's official dog. And Kansans are quite open to the canine honor. In fact, back in 2006, a local schoolteacher's petition garnered thousands of signatures for a similar bill, but in the end, lacked a supportive legislator. While the current bill is still in political limbo, supporters say the Toto dog is an indisputably good choice given that Kansas is already "forever linked" to The Wizard of Oz.
6. Maryland's official state sport: Jousting
Tourists may come to Maryland for the blue crabs, but it's the state's official sport — jousting — that has the truly historic ties. While only designated in 1962, jousting tournaments have been held in Maryland since early colonial times. While competitors, still referred to as "knights" and "maids," no longer aim their fine-tipped lances at each other, the men and women charge a horse at full-gallop through an 80-yard course toward suspended rings in attempt to "spear" the loops, scoring points accordingly. But jousting better watch its back, as fans of Duckpin bowling are hot on its medieval heels. Owners of the state's approximately 50 duckpin bowling alleys are petitioning to make their sport — which is similar to bowling, only with a smaller ball — the state's official pastime. Supporters point out that the sport was actually invented in Baltimore and Maryland is, "without question, the Mecca of duckpin bowling."
7. North Carolina's official state popular dance: The shag
Several states actually have an official state dance — Hawaii has the hula, for example — but only a few have two. North Carolina is one such lucky and apparently rhythmic state. In 2005, the General Assembly passed a bill making the official folk dance clogging — a Gaelic derivative developed in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and selected because of its "distinct, dignified, and beautiful footwork." The same bill acknowledged the official popular dance as the shag, which is a form of swing dancing that some believe originated on the Carolina beach during the 1940s.
8. Maine's official state soft drink: Moxie
The taste of Moxie isn't for everyone. It starts out with a familiar smack, like Pepsi or root beer, but quickly takes on a medical flavor with notes of wintergreen and bitters, ending, rather strongly with a dry bitterness not unlike vermouth. Even after the first or second taste, you might feel the urge to spit it out. But with patience, even the newly initiated will come to realize the soft drink is "the beverage of gourmets." And the beverage is without a doubt the choice of Mainers. The carbonated refreshment in the bright orange packaging is unique to the Northeast. Concocted in the 1870s by a doctor in Union, Maine, the beverage went on to outsell Coca-Cola in the early 1900s. The bill making Moxie the state's official soft drink passed in 2005, and says the very name "symbolizes spirit and courage," virtues esteemed by true Mainers.
9. Illinois' official state dirt: Drummer
The Land of Lincoln is actually flush with state symbols, from snack food (popcorn) to amphibian (eastern tiger salamander). But in 2001, the Illinois General Assembly dug deep to find a new emblem, and unanimously approved a bill establishing an official state soil — Drummer silty clay loam. Why, you might ask? Supporters say they hope the official designation will make residents more aware of the connection between the state's farming economy and the soil that makes such success possible. "Soil is crucial to our state's history, our quality of life, and our future," says Bill Gradle, the state conservationist. While few would be able to distinguish Drummer from regular old dirt, the official soil is actually the state's most common, covering about 1.5 million acres, and is especially suited to growing the state's most valuable field crops — corn and soybeans. And Illinois isn't alone in acknowledging the earth. At least 20 other states have similar honors, including Wisconsin and Florida.
10. Missouri's official state dinosaur: The Hypsibema
The Hypsibema missouriense is a type of herbivore distinguished by its duck-billed head. Within that strong jaw are more than 1,000 teeth that evolved over time to handle tough, fibrous vegetation. The dinosaur was native to Missouri during the Late Cretaceous Period and its fossils were first discovered in 1942 by Dan Stewart near the town of Glen Allen, Mo. The plant-eating beast was adopted by Missouri as its state dino on July 9, 2004. There are only six other states that have taken particular prehistoric animals as their own.
11. Wisconsin's official state microbe: The Lactococcus lactis
On the surface, Wisconsin's 2010 nomination of a microbe may seem like a mockery of state government's favor of minutiae over movement. However, the Lactococcus lactis isn't your average microbe. The hardworking bacterium is used to make cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack cheese and is "an unsung hero" of the nation's No. 1 cheese-producing state.
12. New Mexico's official state question: "Red or green?"
New Mexico really got down to the symbolic nitty gritty when, in 1996, the legislature passed a House Joint Memorial declaring "Red or green?" as the official state question. The options refers to the red or green chilies native to New Mexican cuisine, and is the inquiry most often heard in local restaurants. Chiles are the state's top cash crop, and the adoption of the peculiar question acknowledges the pod's historical importance. Unsurprisingly, New Mexico is the only state to have such a designation.
13. Mississippi's official state toy: The Teddy bear
Mississippi wanted to cinch its connection to the origin story of the Teddy bear, and passed a bill in 2002 making it the state's official toy. The story, in case you're wondering, goes like this: In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt traveled to Mississippi for a hunting expedition during which the president refused to shoot a helpless bear as it would be unsportsmanlike. Soon after, a New York toy company labeled a stuffed toy bear "Teddy's bear," instituting the cuddly copy as a childhood favorite for decades to come. Mississippi is actually the only state with an official toy, though Pennsylvania has a proposed bill that would make the Slinky its official state toy.
Sources: The Baltimore Sun, CBS Local, Fox News, Huffington Post, The New York Times, Reuters, State Symbols USA, TwinCities.com, USA Today
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