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Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
On a cobalt blue background in the upper left quarter is a five-pointed silver star between two sprays of sagebrush crossed to form a half wreath; across the top of the wreath is a golden scroll with the words, in black letters, "Battle Born." The name "Nevada" is beneath the star in gold letters. The current Nevada State Flag design was adopted March 26, 1929, and revised in 1991.
Nickname: The Silver State.
Capital: Carson City.
Constitution: The 36th State.
Statehood: October 31st 1864.
Motto: All for our Country
History:
Indians may have lived in the Nevada region more than 20,000 years ago. Explorers of the early 1800's encountered Mohave, Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe Indians.
The United States acquired the Nevada region from Mexico in 1848. In 1859, the discovery of silver near Virginia City brought an rush of prospectors to the area. Nevada's nickname, the Silver State, comes from the vast amounts of silver once taken from its mines. Settlers chose the name Nevada, a Spanish word meaning snow-clad, when the region became a territory in 1861.
Bird:
The Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) lives in the Nevada high country and destroys many harmful insects. It is a member of the thrush family and its song is a clear, short warble like the caroling of a robin. The male is azure blue with a white belly, while the female is brown with a bluish rump, tail, and wings.
Economy:
Agriculture: Cattle, hay, dairy products, potatoes.
Industry: Tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, electric equipment.
Flower:
Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) grows abundantly in the deserts of the Western United States. A member of the wormwood family, sagebrush is a branching bush (1 to 12 feet high) and grows in regions where other kinds of vegetation cannot subsist. Known for its pleasant aroma, its grey-green twigs, and pale yellow flowers, sagebrush is an important winter food for sheep and cattle.
Nickname:
Sagebrush State, Silver State, Battle-Born State.
Origin of the state's name:
Spanish, meaning "snow-capped."
Seal:
The Territorial Legislature approved the description of the seal for the Territory of Nevada on November 29, 1861. The Territorial Seal included the motto "Volens et Potens," which means "Willing and Able," expressing the ideas of loyalty to the Union and the wealth to sustain it.
In mid-1864, Nevada's Constitutional Convention adopted a description of the features to be placed on Nevada's Great Seal. The Secretary of the Territory was ordered to obtain such a seal when the Constitution was adopted by the people. On February 24, 1866, the Legislature changed the motto on the seal to "All for Our Country." In 1969, this measure was amended to make the legal description conform to the actual features of the seal. This provision is now found in Nevada Revised Statutes 235.010.
The design of the Great Seal of the State of Nevada is described as follows:
In the foreground, there are two large mountains, at the base of which, on the right, is located a quartz mill, and on the left, a tunnel, penetrating the silver leads of the mountain, with a miner running out a carload of ore and a team loaded with ore for the mill. Immediately in the foreground, there are emblems indicative of the agricultural resources of the state including a plow, a sheaf and sickle. In the middle ground, there is a railroad train passing a mountain gorge and a telegraph line extending along the line of the railroad. In the extreme background, there is a range of snow-clad mountains, with the rising sun in the east.
Thirty-six stars (to signify Nevada as the 36th state to join the Union) and the motto, "All for Our Country," encircle the entire illustration. In an outer circle, the words "The Great Seal of the State of Nevada" are engraved with"Nevada" at the base of the seal and separated from the other words by two groups of three stars each.
Two large metal versions of the seal may be found on both the north and south exterior faces of the Legislative Building, a gift from the Government of Taiwan to the Nevada Legislature. Taiwan was designated as Nevada's sister state in 1985.
Trees:
The Single-Leaf Pinon (Pinus monophylla) is an aromatic pine tree with short, stiff needles and gnarled branches. The tree grows in coarse, rocky soils and rock crevices. Though its normal height is about 15 feet, the single-leaf pinon can grow as high as 50 feet under ideal conditions.
The Bristlecone Pine (Pinus aristata) shares the state tree designation. The bristlecone pine is the oldest living thing on Earth, with some specimens in Nevada more than 4,000 years of age. The tree can be found at high elevations. Normal height for older trees is about 15 to 30 feet, although some have attained a height of 60 feet. Diameter growth continues throughout the long life of the tree, resulting in massive trunks with a few contorted limbs.
Note:
The Territory of Nevada was created by an Act of Congress, signed by President James Buchanan and became effective March 2, 1861. President Abraham Lincoln appointed James W. Nye of New York as Nevada's first Territorial Governor.
On October 31, 1864, President Lincoln proclaimed Nevada's admission to the Union as the 36th state. The creation of the Nevada Territory, and its admission to the Union, were a consequence of the mineral wealth of the Comstock Lode. During the next 75 years, many mining towns flourished, if only briefly, all over the state. Since 1931, tourism, particularly entertainment and legalized gaming, have become increasingly important to Nevada's economy. Mining also has rebounded in recent years, and Nevada now produces more gold than any other state. Federal legislation enacted in 1986 created the Great Basin National Park, which includes the area around Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada.
Indians may have lived in the Nevada region more than 20,000 years ago. Explorers of the early 1800's encountered Mohave, Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe Indians.
The United States acquired the Nevada region from Mexico in 1848. In 1859, the discovery of silver near Virginia City brought an rush of prospectors to the area. Nevada's nickname, the Silver State, comes from the vast amounts of silver once taken from its mines. Settlers chose the name Nevada, a Spanish word meaning snow-clad, when the region became a territory in 1861.
Bird:
The Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) lives in the Nevada high country and destroys many harmful insects. It is a member of the thrush family and its song is a clear, short warble like the caroling of a robin. The male is azure blue with a white belly, while the female is brown with a bluish rump, tail, and wings.
Economy:
Agriculture: Cattle, hay, dairy products, potatoes.
Industry: Tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, electric equipment.
Flower:
Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) grows abundantly in the deserts of the Western United States. A member of the wormwood family, sagebrush is a branching bush (1 to 12 feet high) and grows in regions where other kinds of vegetation cannot subsist. Known for its pleasant aroma, its grey-green twigs, and pale yellow flowers, sagebrush is an important winter food for sheep and cattle.
Nickname:
Sagebrush State, Silver State, Battle-Born State.
Origin of the state's name:
Spanish, meaning "snow-capped."
Seal:
The Territorial Legislature approved the description of the seal for the Territory of Nevada on November 29, 1861. The Territorial Seal included the motto "Volens et Potens," which means "Willing and Able," expressing the ideas of loyalty to the Union and the wealth to sustain it.
In mid-1864, Nevada's Constitutional Convention adopted a description of the features to be placed on Nevada's Great Seal. The Secretary of the Territory was ordered to obtain such a seal when the Constitution was adopted by the people. On February 24, 1866, the Legislature changed the motto on the seal to "All for Our Country." In 1969, this measure was amended to make the legal description conform to the actual features of the seal. This provision is now found in Nevada Revised Statutes 235.010.
The design of the Great Seal of the State of Nevada is described as follows:
In the foreground, there are two large mountains, at the base of which, on the right, is located a quartz mill, and on the left, a tunnel, penetrating the silver leads of the mountain, with a miner running out a carload of ore and a team loaded with ore for the mill. Immediately in the foreground, there are emblems indicative of the agricultural resources of the state including a plow, a sheaf and sickle. In the middle ground, there is a railroad train passing a mountain gorge and a telegraph line extending along the line of the railroad. In the extreme background, there is a range of snow-clad mountains, with the rising sun in the east.
Thirty-six stars (to signify Nevada as the 36th state to join the Union) and the motto, "All for Our Country," encircle the entire illustration. In an outer circle, the words "The Great Seal of the State of Nevada" are engraved with"Nevada" at the base of the seal and separated from the other words by two groups of three stars each.
Two large metal versions of the seal may be found on both the north and south exterior faces of the Legislative Building, a gift from the Government of Taiwan to the Nevada Legislature. Taiwan was designated as Nevada's sister state in 1985.
Trees:
The Single-Leaf Pinon (Pinus monophylla) is an aromatic pine tree with short, stiff needles and gnarled branches. The tree grows in coarse, rocky soils and rock crevices. Though its normal height is about 15 feet, the single-leaf pinon can grow as high as 50 feet under ideal conditions.
The Bristlecone Pine (Pinus aristata) shares the state tree designation. The bristlecone pine is the oldest living thing on Earth, with some specimens in Nevada more than 4,000 years of age. The tree can be found at high elevations. Normal height for older trees is about 15 to 30 feet, although some have attained a height of 60 feet. Diameter growth continues throughout the long life of the tree, resulting in massive trunks with a few contorted limbs.
Note:
The Territory of Nevada was created by an Act of Congress, signed by President James Buchanan and became effective March 2, 1861. President Abraham Lincoln appointed James W. Nye of New York as Nevada's first Territorial Governor.
On October 31, 1864, President Lincoln proclaimed Nevada's admission to the Union as the 36th state. The creation of the Nevada Territory, and its admission to the Union, were a consequence of the mineral wealth of the Comstock Lode. During the next 75 years, many mining towns flourished, if only briefly, all over the state. Since 1931, tourism, particularly entertainment and legalized gaming, have become increasingly important to Nevada's economy. Mining also has rebounded in recent years, and Nevada now produces more gold than any other state. Federal legislation enacted in 1986 created the Great Basin National Park, which includes the area around Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada.