The nickname for Ohio and its inhabitants--Buckeye--became
official in 1953 when the legislature named the Ohio Buckeye the state tree.
The buckeye tree derives the name from its large brown seeds, which resemble
the eyes of the white-tailed deer.
State Bird
Cardinal
Ohio adopted the cardinal as its
official bird in 1933. A permanent resident of Ohio, the cardinal is known
for its clear, strong song and brilliant plumage.The northern cardinal is
also the state bird for six other states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,
North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
State Flower
Scarlet Carnation
The red carnation was adopted as Ohio's state flower
in 1904 in memory of President William McKinley, who always wore a red carnation
in his lapel.
State Animal White tailed deer
Now deer live in all 88 Ohio counties..
From about 1904 to 1923 very few, if any, deer lived in Ohio. That’s because
deer hunting was unregulated before the year 1900 and there were no
laws to protect deer. Also, the food, water, shelter, and space deer need
to live had been destroyed. Thanks to the Division of Wildlife, deer are back in
Ohio. More than 450,000 whitetails live in the state. They returned because
deer hunting is now highly regulated. Now there are so many deer living
in Ohio, deer hunting is necessary to control the size of the deer herd.
Deer hunting is the most popular type of hunting in Ohio.
State Fossil Trilobite
The isotelus, commonly known as
the trilobite existed in Ohio 440 million years ago when salt water covered
the state. The creature was about 14 inches long and resembled the modern
horseshoe crab. The largest trilobite fossil was discovered in the Dayton
area in 1919.
State Insect Ladybug
In June 1975 the Ohio legislature
named the ladybug as the state insect. The ladybug is a favorite of both
children and adults due to its beauty and helpful instinct to eat other insects
that can be harmful to crops and flowers.
State Flag
Ohio's official flag was adopted by an
Act of the Ohio Legislature on May 9, 1902. The Ohio burgee, as the swallow-tailed
design is properly called, was drawn by John Eisenmann, architect and designer
for the Ohio State Pan-American Exposition Commission.The Ohio flag
has three red and two white horizontal stripes. At its staff end, in a blue
triangular field whose apex is at the center of the middle red stripe, are
17 white, five-pointed stars grouped around a red disc superimposed upon
a white circular O.Mr. Eisenmann explained its symbolism most aptly:
"The triangles formed by the main lines of the flag represent the hills and
valleys as typified in the State Seal, and the stripes the roads and waterways.
The stars, indicating the 13 original states of the Union, are grouped about
the circle which represents the Northwest Territory; and that Ohio was the
seventeenth state admitted into the Union is shown by adding four more stars.
The white circle with its red center, not only represents the initial letter
of Ohio, but is suggestive of its being the 'Buckeye State'."
State Reptile
Black RacerSnake
In 1955 the General Assembly adopted
the black racer snake as the state reptile because it is native to all 88
Ohio counties and is called the “farmer’s friend” due to its tendency to
diet on disease-carrying rodents.
State Beverage Tomato Juice
Ohio leads the country in the production
of tomato juice and is second only to California in tomato growing. Tomato
juice became the state beverage in 1965.
State Wildflower White Trillium
In 1986, the plant Trillium grandiflorum,
commonly known as the large white trillium, found in every Ohio county, was
adopted as the state wild flower.
Map of State of Ohio Capital - Columbus Location & Region - 39.98893 N, 082.98738
W Midwest Constitution Ratified - 1851 Statehood - March 01, 1803 17th state Population - 11,353,140; 7th Area: 44828 sq.mi, 34th Land 40953 sq.
mi., 35th Water 3875 sq.mi., 14th Great Lakes 3,499
sq.mi. Number of Counties - 88 Counties in Ohio
Great Seal
The current design of the Great Seal of
the State of Ohio was officially adopted in 1967 and modified in 1996. In
the foreground, a sheaf of wheat represents Ohio's agricultural strength.
A bundle of 17 arrows symbolizes Ohio's status as the 17th state admitted
to the union. Thirteen rays around the sun represent the thirteen original
colonies shining over the first state in the Northwest Territory. The background
contains a portrayal of Mount Logan, with a three-quarter full sun rising
behind it--symbolizing that Ohio was the first state west of the Allegheny
Mountains.
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