The 84th bi-annual session of the State legislature left us with money for roads and schools, and its “Hall of Shame” for senators and representatives not doing their jobs, but the group also left Austin with some new additions to the Lore of the Lone Star State… including “Lone Star State,” which became the official nickname of Texas.
In a slew of resolutions, now signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, these items are now “Official” for Texas:
- Cowboy Hat, the official headgear for Texas
- “Lone Star State” now the official nickname
- Western Honeybee, official state pollinator
- “Wedding Capital of Texas” is now Dripping Springs
- “National Day of the Cowboy” the fourth Saturday in July
- “Butterfly Capital of Texas” is Jasper, in Jasper County
- “Vaquero Capital of Texas” Jim Hogg County
- “Grape Capital of Texas” Terry County
- “State Crustacean” is the Texas Gulf Shrimp
- #Texas the official hashtag of the state
- #txlege the official hashtag of the Legislature
- #TexasToDo the official hashtag of Texas tourism
- “Storybook Capital of Texas” Abilene
Some of those may come as surprises, or prompt a bit of head-scratching, but they all mean a great deal to the cities or industries involved. Jasper will get tourists to see the Monarch Butterflies in October. Abilene houses the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, and is building a sculpture garden for characters from children’s books.
The Cowboy Hat represents Texas around the world, and the “Lone Star State” has been the “other name” for Texas for a very long time.
No mystery on Dripping Springs, which hosts thousands of weddings every year, or Terry County, near Lubbock, which grows more grapes than all other counties in the state, combined!
The designation of the Texas Gulf Shrimp will be used for marketing the 100% Texas product, since the majority of shrimp sold in the United States comes from Asia.
We thought you would like to check out other “Official” and “Capital” designations, per Wikipedia and the Texas Almanac. But just wait, in 2017 the legislature will probably add to this list as well.
State motto: Friendship
State song: Texas, Our Texas
State sport: Rodeo
State Team sport: American Football
State pie: Pecan
State dish: Chili
State Snack: Tortilla chips & Salsa
State pepper: Jalapeño
State fish: Guadalupe bass
State fruit: Texas red grapefruit
State gem: Texas blue topaz
State insect: Monarch butterfly
State epic poem: The Legend of Old Stone Ranch, by John Worth Cloud
Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas: Garland
Alligator Capital of Texas: Anahuac
Home of the Official Kolache of the Texas Legislature: West
Horned Lizard Capital of Texas: Kenedy
State domino game: 42
State folk dance: Square dance
State Music: Western Swing
Instrument: Guitar
Molecule: Buckyball
Grass: Sideoats Grama
Fiber & Fabric: Cotton
Air Force: Commemorative Air Force
Ship: Battleship Texas (BB-35)
Shrub: Crape Myrtle
Shrub (native) Texas Sage
Shell: Lightning Whelk
Plant: Prickly Pear Cactus
Flower: Bluebonnet
Tree: Pecan
Bird: Northern Mockingbird
Mammal (small) Nine banded Armadillo
Mammal (Large): Texas Longhorn
Mammal (flying) Mexican free tail Bat
Dog: Blue Lacy
Cooking Implement: Dutch Oven
Nut: Pecan
Vegetable: Texas Sweet Onion
Dinosaur: Brachiosaur Sauropod
Stone: Petrified Palmwood
Rob Milford is a news contributor to Breitbart Texas. You can follow him on Facebook.
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