North Carolina: State Symbols Their Historical Significance

State Art Medium- Clay Adopted in 2013

North Carolina’s rich clay soil has contributed to the state’s heritage. The use of clay has grown from the early Native Americans to the European settlers, each continuing their ancestor’s traditions. Today the pottery and brick-makers of central NC use the iron-rich red clay, while the NC mountains produce kaolin, a white clay, which is used in the making of fine china and porcelain bathroom fixtures.

State Boat –Shad Boat Adopted in 1987

The shad boat was first created in 1870 around Roanoke Island The shad boat was first created in 1870 around Roanoke Island. The Civil War was over. They needed more fishing boats but had a shortage of trees. The boat was made from a carved-out cedar tree trunk. The back of the boat was high and square to hold the fishing nets. The combination of a round-bottomed boat, sturdy hull or body, and multiple sails helped the fishermen to maneuver around the unsafe NC coastal waters. The shad boat continued to be used for the next 50 years.

State Dance- Clogging Adopted in 2005

http://www. youtube. com/watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-YeTEnVtSs Clogging is a distinctive dance style that began in the Appalachian Mountains. European settlers brought their folk dances to the colonies. The dance was further shaped by Native American and African-American dance styles. The percussive foot-tapping became known as clogging. Team clogging was added in the 1920’s to folk festival competitions across the state.

State Flag of North Carolina Adopted 1885

North Carolina had many different flags from colonial times, Revolutionary War, and its early statehood. It didn’t have an official flag until 1861 at the start of the Civil War. This NC flag design stayed the same until 1885, when the legislature proposed a new one. The right side of the flag now has one upper red bar and one lower white bar. The left side is a blue background with one white star surrounded by a gold NC. Above the star is the date of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, and below the star is the date of the Halifax Resolves. The only change since 1885 was to remove the commas in the dates.

State Flower-Dogwood Tree Blossom Adopted 1941

The blossoming Dogwood is one of the most common trees in North Carolina, found in all parts of the state from the mountains to the coast. Most often the flowers are white, but shades of pink and red are not uncommon. In years past the hard, shock-resistant wood of dogwood trees was used to make farm tools, wedges for rail splitting, shuttles for spinning mills, and other things. The bark, flowers, berries, and roots of the flowering dogwood also had many medicinal purposes including treating fevers and malaria.

State Fossil- Megalodon Tooth Adopted 2013

The megalodon shark is an extinct species that lived over 2 million years ago. The megalodon shark may have reached over 40 feet in length and weighed up to 100 tons. Fossilized teeth of the megalodon shark have been found in North Carolina. The heart‑shaped teeth may have grown to over seven inches in length. Fossil collectors from around the world come to eastern North Carolina today still looking for these prized shark teeth.

State Horse-Colonial Spanish Mustang Adopted 2010

The wild horses of the Outer Banks’ barrier islands have survived there for more than 400 years. They are descended from the fine horses of the early Spanish explorers. Since only the best horses were brought here, the mustang breed is strong and able to survive. People believe the horses ended up in NC due to shipwrecks or being abandoned to lighten a ship’s load or from a failed colony. The sandy islands, once home to 5,000 horses, now have fewer than 250 due to loss of habitat from development and tourism. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCc7iZsiDGc

State Insect- Honeybee Adopted in 1973

Native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, honeybees reached North Carolina aboard English vessels as early as 1622. Quickly adapting to the New World, they thrived and spread rapidly. Honeybees have long played an important role in North Carolina's agricultural economy. They pollinate many major cash crops in NC like cotton, alfalfa, fruits, and vegetables. Honeybees are also useful for their production of honey and beeswax.

State Mammal-Gray Squirrel Adopted in 1969

The gray squirrel may be found in all 100 counties of North Carolina The gray squirrel may be found in all 100 counties of North Carolina. First described in 1788, the gray squirrel helped in its own small way to the survival of the North American colonies and the success of the American Revolution. As an abundant game animal it provided a much needed food source. Some have suggested that the marksmanship needed to successfully hunt such an elusive animal was an important training ground for the citizen-soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

State Mineral-Gold Adopted in 2011

The discovery of gold in 1799 by a twelve year old boy in Cabarrus County started North Carolina’s Gold Rush. The boy's name was Conrad Reed, and the location developed into the Reed Gold Mine. It was the first discovery of gold in the US. North Carolina was the only gold-producing state in the union from 1803 to 1828. It remained the top gold-producing state until the California Gold Rush in 1848. The Federal Reserve minted gold coins in Charlotte from 1838 until the start of the Civil War in 1861.

State Rock - Granite Adopted in 1979

The earliest recorded granite quarry was in 1805 in Wake County and used for local buildings. A second quarry east of Raleigh supplied stone for building the State Capitol from 1833 to 1836. The 90-acre granite quarry located today outside Mount Airy in Surry County, North Carolina, is the world's largest open-faced granite quarry. Granite from this quarry has been used to build such well-known structures as the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk and the U.S. Gold Depository at Fort Knox.

State Tree - Pine Adopted in 1963

There are 8 species of pine trees grown in NC, but no specific one is the state tree. Being both fast growing and well-adapted to sandy or acidic soil, the pine tree is the most common tree in NC. It is probably the most important type of wood in the construction industry. Pine provides half of the lumber, wood, and paper products needed by the industry. Naval stores, products made from cooking the pine - pitch, turpentine, and tar, are also harvested from the forests. Up until the 1860s, North Carolina provided the majority of these supplies to US markets.