Welcome to Mississippi. Here, the character
of the Old South can still be felt with the scents of the magnolia blossom floating on the warm, moist breeze.
Stately antebellum mansions are preserved across the state, hosted by women in billowing hoop skirts during the
spring and summer months. Mississippi is a state that is proud of its history and works hard to preserve the
memory of the Old South.
When Mississippi was a one-crop state before the arrival of the boll
weevil in 1907, plantations thrived, and cotton was king in the fertile soil of the Yazoo-Mississippi delta.
Today, though Mississippi ranks among the leading producers, cotton competes with other crops, like soybeans,
and manufacturing has replaced agriculture as the economic leader. Mississippi is the nation's largest producer
of upholstered furniture.
Mississippi has not experienced the
urban growth of other states and is still very much a land of small towns scattered among rolling farmlands
and forested hills. About 40% of of Mississippi is occupied by about 42,000 farms.
| THE NAME:
The state of Mississippi is named after the Mississippi River. Though the river was called by many different
names, the name Mississippi given to it by the Indians was the name that was used on Robert Cavelier Sieur de La
Salle's map of the area in 1695.
Mississippi means "large river" to the Chippewa Indians.
Source: Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S.
State
Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut - 1994 |
| THE NICKNAMES:
The Magnolia State: The most well-known nickname for Mississippi is "The Magnolia State." This nickname
honors the stately beauty of the Magnolia Trees of Mississippi. The Magnolia is Mississippi's official
State Tree and the blossom is Mississippi's official State Flower. "The Magnolia State" appears on the
Mississippi 50 States commemorative quarter issued in October of 2002.
The Bayou State: Mississippi is sometimes referred to as "The Bayou State" for its slow-moving streams that
wander through marshes and lowlands along the Mississippi River and the southern section of the state to the Gulf
coast.
The Eagle State: This name came from the Mississippi Coat of Arms which depicts a Bald Eagle clasping arrows
and an olive branch in its talons. The Mississippi Coat of Arms, based on the National Coat of Arms, can
be seen on the Mississippi Great Seal.
The Border-eagle State: This nickname is attributed to the Mississippi Coat of Arms as well though it is not known
why the "Border-eagle" is specified.
The Mud-cat State: Large catfish wandering the swamps and rivers of the states were referred to as Mud-cats.
This humorous name references these large fish.
The Mud-waddler State: In John Goff's 1892 Book of Nicknames, Mississippi is referred to as "The
Mud-waddler" state. No explanation is given.
The Ground-hog State: It is assumed that this name originated at some point due to the population of ground
hogs in Mississippi. Though referred to in John Goff's 1892 Book of Nicknames, this name, like "The
Mud-waddler State," is not explained.
Source: Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State
Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut - 1994
Shankle, George Earlie, Phd State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers and
Other Symbols H. H. Wilson Company, New York - 1938 (Reprint) |
THE CITIZENS:
People who live in Mississippi or who come from Mississippi are called Mississippians. |
THE QUARTER:
The Mississippi State Quarter is the 20th quarter released in the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters™ Program and the fifth, and
last, to be released in 2002.
The stately design is one of our favorites.
The strongly directed message depicts beautiful magnolia blossoms, and all that they represent, along with a
Mississippi state nickname, the Magnolia State. If you've never been fortunate enough to languish in the scent
of the magnolia blossom, make a point to correct this. 1817 is the date that Mississippi was admitted to the union.
For more on the state commemorative quarters, visit this page.
This 50 State Quarter Map is a great way to collect and display all 50 State Quarters. |
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