The Washington times., 1901-07-14
OOUBRIQUETO OF STATES.
Some of the Nicknames and Why
They Are Applied.
Pennsylvania Owes It's Keystone APP
pIication 10 Bridge Which Spnn-
ned Rock Creek-Maryiand Old
Line soldiers and Their COcI<ndes.


ned Rock Creek-MaryIand's Old
From the old stone bridge across
Rock Creek, connecting X Street in
Washington with Water Street in
Georgetown. and which was replaced by
the present iron structure, Pennsyl-
vania derives its nickname, The Key
stone State" The names Of the thir-
teen original States were carved upon
the faces of the archstones of this
bridge, hich was the first to connect
this city with Georgetown, and Penn
sylvania" was cut in the keystone of
the arch Some of the stones of the old
bridge may still be seen in the vicinity
of its site.
The origin of the nicknames applied
TO the various States of the Union and
their inhabitants is interesting to trace.
Virginia, the first British colony in the
New World, is commonly known as
THE Old dominion" sometimes. too. as
The Ancient Dominion" The Mother
of States" and The Mother of Presi-
dents" the first in accordance with its
days of its history as The Colony and
Dominion of Virginia" It's designation
as The Mother of Presidents a" arises
from the fact that four out of the first
FIVE Presidents of the United States
were natives of Virginia, as were Har-
rison. Tyler, and Taylor. subsequently.
The titles ''Old Line State and
"Cockade State" have been given to
Maryland In memory of the famous oii
Maryland Line regiment, fine. we'll
disciplined body of troops, principally
composed Of young men, who wore
brilliant cockades in their hats. When
CORVALLIS grenadiers charged through
the broken American lines at Lough-
land, the Marylanders checked the on
set of the British veterans, and thus
saved the day.
Connecticut was formerly known as
THE Blue Law State,' from the con-
temptuous epithet Blue" applied at
the restoration of Charles II to every
person and thing that savored of Pur-
itanism. Hence, also. the--derisive epi-
thei applied by the Southerners to the
people of the Eastern States of '2lue-
nose Yankee" Another nickname given
Connecticut is The Nutmeg State"
This arose from the absurd story that
wooden nutmeGs were manufactured
there on a large scale for expectation. A
more fattering designation of Connec-
ticut is The Land of Steady Habits"
which phrase explains itself
Massachusetts is called The Bay
State" because the original name of
this colony in the New England Com
monwealth was Massachusetts Bay
North Carolina is THE Old North
State" owing to its position in the
Carolinas, and The Turpentine State,
from the great quantity of turpentine
taken in its pine forests. At the time
OF the civil war, and for some time af-
terward, the natives were nicknamed
Tar Heels in allusi3n to the import
ant tar industry of the lowland forests.
South Carolina is The Palmetto
State" from the palmetto tree distin-
guished in the seal Of the Common
wealth. During the civil war, the
South Carolina troops were known as
Palmetto Boys" The poor descen-
the introduction of slave labor, betook
themselves to the pine woods that COW
er the sandhills of South Carolina and
Georgia, have ever since borne the
name Of Sand -hillers." Olmstead says
in his work on the slave-holding
States that these people were small,
gaunt, and cadaverous, while their skin
is just the color of the sandhills they
live on. Another nickname for this
same class of people originally. tut
what more recently has come to be be-
slowed upon the natives of Georgia in
general, is the Crackers" as OImstsad
supposes from their peculiar dialect.
almost incomprehensible and difficult
to report or describe" Another writer
suggests that the name is derived from
"Corncracker." a species of long-legged
bird allied to the crane, whence also
the natives of Kentucky have derived
their peculiar nickname of "Corncrack-
ers''
Georgia is known as The Empire
State OF the South" from the ra2idity
of its industrial development.
Kentucky is called The Blue Grass
State" from the bea utiful orchard
grass that flourishes in the partial
shade of the woods. A common name
for Kentucky in former times was The
Dark and Bloody Ground" This desig-
nation was applied, not merely I'm allu-
sion TO the sanguinary conflicts that
constantly took place between the
white settlers and the Indians. but be
cause this was the great battle ground
of the latter before white occupation.
Maine is The Pine Tree State" from
her luxuriant forests OF that tree,
towering pine figuring in her arms.
New Hampshire is The Granite State"
from the abundance of granite found
there. New York is The Empire
State" from her commanding position
and the vast wealth and enterprise of
her people. The nickname of the New
Workers is 'Knickerbockers," in allu-
sion to the wide breeches worn by the
early Dutch settlers of New York City,
or, rather New Amsterdam as the col
ony was at first designated.
New Jersey bears the name of The
Garden State" owing to the quantity
and variety OF its agricultural and
floral products. 1t is said that when
Jerome Bonaparte, the brother of Ma
uoIeon [ who made him King of Naples