The Great State of North

THE GREAT STATE OF NORTH

Nicknames:

The Old North State

(Also our State Song) The state seal of North Carolina has had many changes since its origin in 1663. During colonial times North Carolina used four diﬀerent seals successively. Since the war for independence, six diﬀerent seals have been used.

Liberty Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Plenty

Halifax Resolves

Legislation added the date "April 12, 1776" in 1983 (the date of To be rather than to the Halifax Resolves; this date also appears on the state flag of North Carolina) to serve as a constant reminder of North seem Carolina's commitment to liberty https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/nort h-carolina/state-seal/seal-north-carolina State Tree Despite popular belief, no single species of pine is designated as the official tree of North Carolina. Many people believe that the longleaf pine is the state tree; indeed, many websites still list this species as one of North Carolina’s official symbols. This is probably due to the State Toast, which begins “Here’s to the land of the long leaf pine….” However, with eight species native to North Carolina (eastern white, loblolly, longleaf, pitch, pond, shortleaf, table mountain, and Virginia), the 1963 legislature decided not to favor one at the expense of the other seven.

Nine other states (Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, and New Mexico) have also designated the pine or a species of pine as their ofﬁcial state tree.

https://www.ncpedia.org/tre e-pine State Flower

The Dogwood blossom (Cornus florida L.) is the North Carolina State Flower. The other common names of Dogwood include American Dogwood and Flowering Dogwood. Dogwood is a native of North America and the south of northern New England, Minnesota, and Wyoming. Dogwood is one of the most popular ornamental trees appreciated for its beauty, and for its use as the background tree in landscaping. The characteristic feature of the Flowering Dogwood is its showy flowers that bloom in Spring

https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflo wers/stateflowers/north-carolina-state-flowers North Carolina designated the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) as oﬃcial state bird in 1943.

Male cardinals are a brilliant scarlet red, females a buff brown with reddish wings; both have a jet-black mask, pronounced crest, and heavy bill. The cardinal sings nearly year-round, and the male aggressively defends his 4-acre territory (male cardinals have been seen attacking small red objects mistaken as other males). Northern cardinals breed 2-3 times each season. The female builds the nest and tends the hatchlings for about 10 days while the male brings food. The male State Bird then takes over the care of this first brood while the female moves on to a new nest and lays a second clutch of eggs. The cardinal is the state bird of 7 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/nort h-carolina/state-bird/northern-cardinal Honeybee North Carolina designated the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) as official state insect in 1973. Honeybees play an important role in North Carolina's State agricultural economy as pollinators of several major Insect cash crops (particularly cotton, alfalfa, fruits, and vegetables), and their production of honey and wax. Bee pollination is critical to plant and human survival - beeswax and honey are just surplus gifts from this tiny wonder of nature. The plant world expends a lot of energy attracting bees and other insects with brilliantly colored flowers and sweet nectar (nectar is produced The first bees appear in the fossil record dating solely to attract pollinating insects). The honeybee is 40 million years ago and the honeybee has recognized as an official state symbol in seventeen remained physically and socially unchanged for states, primarily because honeybees play such an 30 million years. Probably originating in tropical important role in agriculture. Africa, they were brought to the New World with the first Spanish and English colonists, quickly Honeybees live in hives of up to 80,000 individuals. A escaping to the wild and eventually populating hive consists of one queen bee (who can live 8 years the entire western hemisphere. American and lay over 1,500 eggs per day), a small group of male Indians called the honeybee "white man's flies. drones (on hand to fertilize a new queen on her nuptial flight, should one be produced), and the remaining vast majority of sterile female worker bees. https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/nort h-carolina/state-insect/honeybee First described in 1788, the squirrel contributed in its own small way to the survival of the North American colonies and the success of the Revolution. As an abundant game animal it provided a much needed food source, and some early chronicles suggested that the marksmanship necessary to successfully hunt such an elusive animal was a vital training ground for the citizen-soldiers who fought in the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

The squirrel is diurnal (that is, active during the day), and largely arboreal. Dens are in natural tree hollows or dreys (nests) made of twigs and branches. Being both adaptable and omnivorous, squirrels can ﬂourish in hardwood forests, suburban woodlands, small parks, and even urban neighborhoods with shade trees.

The gray squirrel may be found in all 100 counties of the state. Its range extends from Florida to southern Canada, and west as far as the Great Plains. Though their diet consists mostly of nuts and seeds, gray squirrels will also eat tree buds, bark, fruit, fungi, insects, eggs, and occasionally even small birds. During the autumn, squirrels will “scatter hoard” nuts (that is, bury them in multiple locations as a food source for the winter), thus not only creating their own food cache, State but also providing an ongoing means of reforestation, since many of the nuts they bury remain uneaten, and so have a chance to germinate. Mammal

https://www.ncpedia.org/symbols/m ammal https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/nort h-carolina/state-reptile/eastern-box-turtle

The Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) was designated as the oﬃcial state reptile of North Carolina in 1979. Listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the eastern box turtle should be monitored and protected to avoid further population decline. The eastern box turtle is found along the entire east coast of the U.S. and inland as far as Michigan, Kansas, State Reptile and Texas. The name was inspired by the box turtle's ability to retract its head and legs into its shell and clamp it shut, creating a protective "box." Eastern box turtles are omnivorous, with a varied diet of plants, roots, ﬁsh, snails, berries, fungi, and even small birds and snakes. Eastern box turtles can live to be over 100 years old (40 - 60 years is the average lifespan in the wild) https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/north- https://www.ncpedia.org/symbols/b carolina-state-beverage-milk/ everage

Although many may expect North Carolina’s official state drink to be sweet tea, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation in 1987 that made milk the official state beverage. As of 2009, North Carolina ranked 31st in milk production among other states. North Carolina dairy farmers provided 892 million pounds of milk in 2008 and produced approximately $191.8 million in value. The top-producing counties in North Carolina are concentrated in the Piedmont and the western half of the state, with Iredell, Randolph, and Yadkin counties leading the way. As of 2009, approximately 45,000 milk-producing cows were in North Carolina. Along with being an excellent source of calcium, milk is also a great source of vitamins A & B, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and protein In making milk the official state beverage, North Carolina followed 17 other states, including both South Carolina and Virginia. North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in State Vegetable the United States. In 2009, North Carolina harvested almost one million pounds of potatoes. The sweet potato was grown in North Carolina by the The sweet potato, often called a yam, is easy to grow in Native Americans long before the European colonization of North Carolina, and it was a staple in the Native American North America. Some scientist believe that sweet potatoes diet. The Creek, Cherokee, and Saura Indian tribes were might have even been a food source for the dinosaurs. three tribes that more than likely depended on the North Carolina is the number one state in sweet potato vegetable for its high nutritional value. The sweet potato, production, growing nearly half of the country’s sweet we now know, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C potatoes. Wilson and Johnston counties are the top and is low in fat. North Carolina leads all other states in sweet potato producers, but there are more than 60,000 acres spread production, throughout the state. The majority of production is located in the coastal plain because of its sandy soil and temperate climate. Surprisingly, the sweet potato is not at all related to the potato. The sweet potato belongs to the root family, while the potato is a tuber. Sweet potatoes are frequently confused with yams, though these are also two distinctly different vegetables. While sweet potatoes are indigenous to North America, the yam comes from West Africa and Asia. https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/north- carolina-state-vegetable-sweet-potato/ https://ncpedia.org/symbols/veg etable State Sport

Stock Car Racing North Carolina designated stock car racing as the oﬃcial state sport in 2011. Stock car racing has played a signiﬁcant role in the history, heritage, and culture of North Carolina. North Carolina is the home of the stock car racing NASCAR Hall of Fame and the NC Auto Racing Hall of Fame. Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts three stock car races annually in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series (the most in-season Sprint Cup events held at a single motorsports facility in the United States), and Charlotte Motor Speedway attracts more than one million visitors annually.

https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/nort h-carolina/state-sport/stock-car-racing State Dog

Back in the mid- to late 1800s, people from as far away as Georgia traveled regularly to Haywood County to get puppies from the Plott family. They would arrive with sacks on the backs of their mules or horses to carry home the prized dogs. The Plotts raised hardworking, tenacious, and loyal dogs that would hunt bear and wild boar with boundless courage. The dogs—once black, brown, or brindle—are now usually brindle (which is a mix of black, browns, and tans). They stand twenty to twenty-five inches at the shoulder, weigh about forty-five to fifty-five pounds, and are strong and fast. The Plott hound, as this kind of dog is known today, has a unique high-pitched bark that alerts hunters as it tracks and corners prey.

The Plott hound is the only ofﬁcially recognized breed of dog developed in North Carolina. (It is one of only four dog breeds native to the United States.)

https://www.ncpedia.org/symbo ls/dog Raleigh is about 130 miles from Charlotte. It has been State Capital the capital of North Carolina since 1792. In 1788, it had been chosen to be the state capital as North Carolina was undergoing the process to become astate, which it did in 1789.

Several locations served as the seat of government for the colony and state of North Carolina before Raleigh was designated as its permanent capital. For most of the colonial period, the capital was situated in whatever town the governor lived. The colony's records, stored at different locations, were carted from place to place, often suffering loss and damage in the process.

https://www.ncpedia.org/capitals-colonial- and-state https://www.tripsavvy.com/charlotte-as-capital-of-n orth-carolina-583913 Charlotte calls itself the Queen City. But why? The Largest City nickname offers a hint that this community is older than the U.S. Charlotte King George III still ruled the Colonies when European Charlotte is the largest city in the state and rivals settlers chartered the town back in 1768. They Jacksonville in Florida for the title of the biggest city in named the new hamlet after the King’s wife, Queen the south-eastern United States. It is the county seat of Charlotte, and gave the surrounding county the the county of Mecklenburg. As of 2017, the city of name Mecklenburg in honor of her majesty’s Charlotte had a population of 859,035 placing it as the birthplace in Germany. 17th most populous city in the country. The whole metropolitan area is the 22nd largest in the country, and it had a population of 2,474,314 in 2016. The city of Charlotte is of the headquarters of the Bank of America. The growth of Charlotte is rooted in the city’s ﬁnancial sector. Debatably Charlotte has also been touted to have the best nightlife in North Carolina and possibly the southern parts of the country.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-largest-citie s-in-north-carolina.html https://www.charlottesgotalot.com/articles/history/th e-history-of-charlotte North Carolina’s 100 Counties

https://www.ncpedia.org/geography/ counties North Carolina’s Current Governor

Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 75th Governor of North Carolinasince January 1, 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Cooper had previously served as the elected Attorney General of North Carolina since 2001. Prior to that, he served in the General Assembly in both the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate America’s Largest Private Residence

Biltmore House was a collaborative effort between George Vanderbilt, architect Richard Morris Hunt, and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Completed in 1895, the home contains over four acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 45 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces

https://www.biltmore.com/visit/biltmore-house-garde ns/biltmore-house Every which way you turn, the waterfront town offers stunning views of both the Pamlico River and Bath Creek. European settlements along the Pamlico in the late 1600s led to the establishment of Bath in 1705. One of the early settlers was John Lawson, town father, surveyor general, and first author on North Carolina history. By 1708 there were 12 houses and around 50 people. As https://www.onlyinyourstate.com North Carolina's first port of entry, things were not all calm /north-carolina/bath-oldest-town in the early days of Bath. The town was divided by political -nc/ rivalries. Native American Wars and Yellow Fever among other epidemics were constant threats. Not to mention Bath was a pirate haven.

Yet Bath was a favorite hang out for one notable person: infamous pirate Edward Teach, AKA Blackbeard. He settled in 1718, gaining a royal pardon. Blackbeard was even said to be friends with North Carolina Governor, Charles Eden. After returning to piracy soon after, he was killed off of the NC Coast. New Bern, the second oldest city in North Carolina, was settled The Royal Governor William Tryon, saw in 1710 by German Palatine and Swiss colonists led by Baron the need for a permanent capital in the Christoph von Graffenreid. He purchased the land from the growing colony and selected New Bern as Tuscarora Indians who had a small settlement here known as the site. Tryon Palace, first colonial and state capitol building of North Carolina Chattawka, which meant "where the fish are taken out." As a point of interest, the oldest water elm tree in the U.S. still was designed by the English architect, John stands in the historic section of downtown, and under that tree Hawks. The palace was completed in 1770. the treaty with the Indians was signed. Named for the city of Bern Switzerland, the town was located on the triangle of land where the Trent and Neuse Rivers meet... the "Union Point."

https://www.carolana.com/NC/Towns/New_Bern _NC.html When 18-year-old Hinton James left his home in Wilmington to attend college, he thought his biggest accomplishment would be the 170-mile walk he’d made from his coastal home to get there. Little did James know that he would actually be the ﬁrst student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After arriving on February 12, 1795, he would remain the only student for the next two weeks, until his other classmates arrived.

UNC-CH stood alone as the only public university to graduate students in the 18thcentury after it opened its doors to students on January 15, 1795.

https://www.ourstate.com/how-unc-chapel-hill-beca me-the-nations-first-public-university/ On March 7, 1914, George Herman Ruth Jr. hit his ﬁrst home run as a professional baseball player and gained the nickname “Babe” in Fayetteville. Ruth began playing baseball in his native Baltimore. At age 19, Jack Dunn, manager of the Baltimore Orioles, recognized his talent and signed him to his ﬁrst professional contract. A few weeks later, the team headed to Fayetteville en route to Florida for spring training. While in Fayetteville, the players learned that Dunn had legally adopted Ruth to keep him with the Orioles. That, combined with Ruth’s playing on the elevators at the Lafayette Hotel, resulted in the older players teasing him as “Dunn’s baby,” later shortened to “Baby” and “Babe.” In the last inning of the exhibition game at the Cape Fear Fair Ground, Ruth hit a long home run. He described it saying, “I hit it as I hit all the others, by taking a good gander at the pitch as it came up to the plate, twisting my body into a backswing and then hitting it as hard I as I https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/20 could swing.” Ruth later commented, “I got to some 13/03/07/babe-ruth-gets-his-nick bigger places than Fayetteville after that, but darn few as name-in-fayetteville exciting.” On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright piloted the http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/wrig first powered airplane 20 feet above a wind-swept ht.htm beach in North Carolina. The flight lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet. Three more flights were made that day with Orville's brother Wilbur piloting the record flight lasting 59 seconds over a distance of 852 feet Cheerwine, Salisbury, 1917

L.D Peeler wanted to create a new, exciting soft drink that was unique to the market. Using flavors purchased off a traveling salesman from St. Louis, Cheerwine was born in Peeler's basement. Just a few years later, this glass-bottled goodness became a fizzy NC hit.

Vicks VapoRub, Selma, 1890

Lunsford Richardson began working on a number of "remedies" he called Vicks. Eventually there were 21 "vicks family remedies" which included this mysterious ingredient from Japan called menthol. After Lunsford sold his drugstore to form Lunsford Richardson Wholesale Drug Company, he had trouble selling the products outside of Greensboro. His son decided to concentrate on the newly named Vicks VapoRub. And voila, a common household remedy was born. Pepsi-Cola, New Bern, 1893

Originally known as "Brad's Drink" after inventor, Caleb Bradham, Pepsi-cola got its new name in 1898 from two of its ingredients pepsin and cola. Today Pepsi-Cola stands as Coca Cola's biggest soft drink rival

Texas Pete, Winston-Salem, 1929

No Texas here, Texas Pete was invented in Winston-Salem by TW Garner Food Company. As operator of the Dixie Pig Barbeque Stand, Sam Garner invented Texas Pete to satisfy his customers needs for something spicier. Today, it is the third best-selling hot sauce in the United States Putt Putt Miniature Golf, Fayetteville, 1954

Founded by Don Clayton, 'Putt-Putt Fun Center' got its roots in Fayetteville and became a global phenomenon.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Winston-Salem, 1937

Vernon Rudolph had humble hopes for his small coffeehouse and doughnut shop located in Old Salem. Using a yeast-based recipe he bought off a New Orleans Chef, Vernon began to sell his doughnuts to grocery stores. Soon, Krispy Kreme was a nationally glazed sensation Universal Product Code, or Barcode, Research Triangle Park, 1969

The barcode is now globally used and known, but it started in Raleigh. George Lauer was assigned to make a universal supermarket scanner and label. The idea had been tinkered with up until this time. Yet it did not come to fruition until 1972 when IBM had Laurer present his proposal for a scanner to the Super Market Committee in Rochester, NY. The proposal was accepted and the On June 26, 1974, the first UPC-marked item was sold in barcode was born. Troy, Ohio – a 10-pack of Wrigley Juicy Fruit gum that is now in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The Gatling Gun, 1861 Although the Gatling Gun was invented by Richard Jordan Gatling while he was living in Indianapolis, Richard spent most of his life in Hertford County North Carolina. Richard Gatling invented the Gatling Gun, the first successful machine gun Headache Powder

It's a statewide battle over who invented the best headache powder. For some reason, headache powder became a popular invention in the Tar heel state. BC Headache Powder was invented in 1906 in Durham by pharmacist Germain Bernard and Commodore Council. Thomas Stanback wanted in on the powder-pain relief, inventing Stanback Headache Powder in Salisbury in 1911. Next, Goody's came to be in Winston-Salem by pharmacist Martin "Goody" Goodman in 1932

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/north-carolina/inve ntions-nc/ Virginia Dare was the first child born to English parents in America. FIRST. CHILD. BORN.

Best known as first lady to President James Madison, the vivacious Dolley Madison set standards of what a 'first lady' should be and saved many important White House documents when it caught fire.

Richard Petty nicknamed "The King" is a record setting Daytona 500 and NASCAR winner born in Level Cross.

Chapel Hill born Clay Aiken placed 2nd on American Idol and later went on to sell 3mil. copies of his debut album. Gold medal winning Olympic boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard, was born in Rocky Mount.

NBA basketball player Chris Paul got his basketball roots playing at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons and later went on to play for Wake Forest. Before becoming a famous TV evangelist and preaching to over 215 mil. viewers in over 185 countries, Billy Graham was born and raised on a dairy farm in Charlotte. Rather it's Mount Airy, or Mayberry, TV star and producer Andy Griffith relayed NC nostalgia, and beauty, for the whole country to see with The Andy Griffith Show. Grammy winner Roberta Baseball hall-of-famer James Flack kills us all softly 'Catfish' Hunter learned to play with her amazing music baseball on his families farm near that got its soulful roots Hertford. Despite his superstardom, from the Blue Ridge Catfish Hunter is known for always Mountains, and her keeping his humble NC ways. birthplace, Black Mountain.

Noted by William Faulkner as 'having the best talent of their generation' Asheville born Thomas Wolfe was a major American novelist of the early 20th century.

Another famous thinker and author is William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry. Born in Greensboro, his outstanding short stories left a mark on the literary world. Today, 'The O. Henry Prize' is one of the most prestigious awards given to short stories. Hollywood starlet Ava Gardner got her start in Smithfield. She is known as one of the best actresses of her generation. North Carolinians go further than just Hollywood, they also go to SPACE, like Elizabethtown born astronaut Curtis 'Curt' Brown.

America can thank Cleveland County born Earl Scruggs and the "Foggy Mountain Boys" who helped introduce bluegrass music into pop culture through TV. His three-finger banjo-pickin style is a defining characteristic of bluegrass. Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States was born 'somewhere' between the NC and SC border in Western, NC. He is known for his strong defense in the rights of the American people.

Singer-songwriter Charlie Daniels was born in Wilmington in a family that raised tobacco. Throughout his childhood, he traveled with his family throughout the Southeast. In the early years of his band, he found work playing in local clubs in Jacksonville, NC

Known as the 'The Intimidator' Kannapolis native Dale Earnhardt Sr. remains, to this day, one of the most popular and loved drivers in NASCAR history. James Taylor was born in Boston, but grew up in Chapel Hill, where his family stayed for most of his childhood. He eventually graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. The Chapel Hill Museum has dedicated an exhibit to James Taylor

Michael Jordan was born in New York, but moved with his family to Wilmington. Before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls, Jordan played for UNC-Chapel Hill. When playing in the NBA, he continued to wear his UNC shorts under his Bulls shorts as a good luck charm Whitewater Falls is the highest waterfall in the eastern United States.The falls is located on the Whitewater River, Jackson County / Transylvania County, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and the falls plunge an amazing 411 feet! South Carolina's Lower Whitewater Falls about 2 miles downstream from Upper Whitewater Falls drops another 400 feet. As with most of North Carolina's waterfalls, it is in the mountainous area of the state. There is a cluster of falls in the area where the borders of Georgia and the Carolinas come together. Whitewater Falls is part of that group, very close to the South Carolina border.

http://www.ereferencedesk.com/resources/state-fac ts/north-carolina.html Mount Mitchell State Park One of those places that stand apart from the ordinary, Mount Mitchell’s dramatic summit is the highest point east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet and was inspiration for one of the nation’s first state parks.

https://www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchell-st ate-park