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Spur, Texas
Photograph by James Bynum |
Texas,
the Lone Star State, is a giant of a state. And Texans are known for their large,
welcoming hearts. "Friendship" is the state's motto, and the people of Texas live
by that motto.
Texas
is a state of superlatives. It leads the nation in total productivity. It is the
leading oil producer in the nation. More beef is produced in Texas than in any other
state. It is still the nation's largest cotton producer. Texas is a giant in the
space industry, and is a major player in high technology. Fittingly, Texas also
boasts the largest of all the state capitol buildings, constructed of 15,000 carloads of
pink granite.
And no state
has a greater variety of reptiles, or a more diverse selection of flowers, than the
great state of Texas. Among them the Horned Lizard (toad), the official state reptile and
Bluebonnets, the official state flower. Find out more about these and other Texas symbols
on NETSTATE's state symbol page.
| THE NAME:
Texas comes from the word "teysha" meaning "hello friend" in the language of
the Caddo Indian tribes. Spanish explorers and settlers used this word to
refer to the friendly tribes throughout Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
Source: Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S.
State
Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut - 1994 |
| THE NICKNAMES:
The Lone Star State: Perhaps one of the most recognized nicknames of any state, "The Lone Star State"
comes from the symbolism of the star on the 1836 flag of the republic, the "National Standard of Texas."
The single golden star on a blue background signified Texas as an independent republic and was a
reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the
Texas State Flag and on the
Texas State Seal today.
The Beef State: Perhaps more likely to be heard in connection with Nebraska,
"The Beef State" is also one of the nicknames for Texas. This is attributed to the state's cattle ranching and beef
production.
The Banner State: This nickname signifies a leading position, a front-runner, and probably originated
from Texas' political influence based on her large population. Charles Ledyard Norton wrote, in Political Americanisms, "The state, county, town or
other political sub-division that give the largest vote for a party candidate is termed 'the banner state.'..."
Other states have been referred to as "Banner States," but this nickname's connection with Texas seems
to have been more lasting.
The Blizzard State: Texas has been called "The Blizzard State" because of the frequent wind storms which
sweep over the state. South Dakota is also referred to as "The Blizzard State."
The Jumbo State: In 1882, P.T. Barnum brought the largest African elephant ever kept in captivity
from London to the United States to be used in his circus. The elephant's name was
Jumbo. The elephant
came to signify anything that was unusually large. Texas, the largest state in the Union, became known
as "The Jumbo State" at that time.
The New Yorker Magazine called Texas "The Super-American State" in 1961.
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 Texas or who come from Texas are referred to as Texans. Many years ago, in early Texas history,
these same people were more likely to be referred to as Texians. |
THE QUARTER:
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| U.S. Mint image |
The Texas quarter is the third quarter of 2004, and the 28th in the 50 State Quarters® Program. On December 29, 1845, Texas became the 28th state to be admitted into the Union. The quarter's reverse design incorporates an outline of the State with a star superimposed on the outline and the inscription, "The Lone Star State." The lariat encircling the design is symbolic of the cattle and cowboy history of Texas, as well as the frontier spirit that tamed the land.
Texas comes from the Indian word "tejas," meaning friends or allies, and appropriately Texas's motto is "Friendship." Probably the two most recognized symbols of Texas are its unique shape and the lone star that is represented on the State flag. The Texas flag design was approved in 1839 to symbolize the Republic of Texas and was adopted as the State flag in 1845. The simple design of a lone star and three bold stripes of red, white and blue represent bravery, purity and loyalty, respectively. Texas is the only state to have had six different flags fly over its land -- Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States of America and the United States of America.
On August 14, 2000, Governor George W. Bush appointed the 15-member Texas Quarter Dollar Coin Design Advisory Committee. The Committee authorized the Texas Numismatic Association to conduct a statewide design contest on its behalf. Nearly 2,600 candidate design concepts were submitted in response to a statewide contest. From those design concepts, 17 finalists were selected by the Texas Numismatic Association and presented to the Texas Quarter Dollar Coin Design Advisory Committee for review. The Committee further narrowed the submissions to the five designs that were most representative and emblematic of the State. Governor Rick Perry submitted the preferred design of the outline of Texas beneath the Lone Star and encircled by a lariat, which was approved by the Secretary of the Treasury on August 26, 2003.
Source: The United States Mint, http://www.usmint.gov, July 09, 2004.
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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