Good morning! Today I have our middle third of state nicknames and a few pictures for you. I hope you find these as interesting as I do. Each state contains such a cornucopia of delights! These descriptions are from Explore.com.
Massachusetts
- Nickname: Bay State
Before it was officially nicknamed the Bay State, Massachusetts was the Massachusetts Bay Colony until "bay" was dropped from the name when it entered the Union in 1788. However, the state’s five bays — Massachusetts Bay, Quincy Bay, Narragansett Bay, Razzmatazz Bay, Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Bay — are still its most defining natural features and offer beauty that only East Coasters know about. [KC – I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I made up Razzmatazz Bay. I’m a big Boston fan, though.]
Michigan
- Nicknames: Wolverine State, Great Lakes State
One of Michigan’s popular nicknames is the Great Lakes State, which is featured on its commemorative bicentennial quarter. Michigan touches four of the five Great Lakes, making it a great destination for outdoor adventures. Michigan is also known as the Wolverine State, despite not being home to this animal. The nickname’s origins aren’t clear, but one legend goes that during the 1835 Toledo War between Michigan and Ohio, Ohioans described people from Michigan as being as vicious and bloodthirsty as wolverines.
Minnesota
- Nicknames: North Star State, Gopher State, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Minnesota’s state motto is "L’etoile du nord," which is French for "the North Star." This evolved into one of the state’s most popular nicknames, the North Star State. The state also promotes itself as the Land of 10,000 Lakes because of the many, many places to enjoy outdoor water activities on its gorgeous, blue waters. And the Gopher State nickname dates back to a political cartoon from 1858, the year Minnesota became a state.
Mississippi
- Nickname: Magnolia State
The magnolia has become synonymous with Mississippi, serving as the official state tree and state flower. Its nickname, "The Magnolia State," appears on Mississippi’s commemorative state quarter released in 2002.
Missouri
- Nickname: Show-me State
Missouri’s nickname, the Show-Me State, is not official, but it’s widely used and has a unique origin story. In an 1899 speech, Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver said: "Frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." This became a self-deprecating shorthand for Missouri stubbornness, which can be a somewhat endearing quality until it becomes toxic.
Montana
- Nickname: Treasure State
Montana’s most popular unofficial nickname is the Treasure State because of its rich mineral resources. Montana’s state motto — "Oro y Plata," Spanish for "gold and silver" — also references this.
Nebraska
- Nicknames: Cornhusker State, Tree Planters State
While plenty of state schools get their mascot from the state nickname, Nebraska’s situation is the opposite. In 1945, the state adopted the new nickname the Cornhusker State, replacing its previous nickname, the Tree Planters State, in honor of the nickname for the University of Nebraska football team. Corn is one of the state’s major crops and was husked by hand by early settlers, earning Nebraskans the moniker "cornhuskers."
Nevada
- Nicknames: Sagebrush State, Silver State, Battle Born State
While many people are familiar with Las Vegas’ nickname, Sin City, they might not be familiar with the state of Nevada’s nickname. Nevada is known as the Battle Born State because it acquired statehood in the middle of the country’s deadliest conflict, the Civil War. Nevada joined the Union in 1864.
New Hampshire
- Nickname: Granite State
Despite the fact that less than half of New Hampshire’s bedrock is actually made of granite, it’s earned the nickname the Granite State due to its granite quarrying industry.
New Jersey
- Nickname: Garden State
Abraham Browning is credited with coining New Jersey’s nickname, the Garden State, at the Philadelphia Centennial exhibition in 1876. He described the state as a barrel full of good things but open at both ends, allowing Pennsylvania and New York to reach in and grab resources. The name evolved to refer to the state’s floral and agricultural produce.
I had to include this photo of The Garden State. C’mon people! You managed corn for the Cornhusker State, a magnolia for the Magnolia State, a pelican… You couldn’t find a single garden in New Jersey?
Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory
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