The Washington times., 1905-04-02
STATE NICKNAhES
AND SOME FACTS
ON THEIR ORIGIN
Washington Gave State
of New York Its
Sobrlquet.
MANY QUEER EPITHETS
Why Indiana IS the Hoosier
State and Illinois the
Sucker State.
MANY QUEER EPITHETS
. GORGE WASHINGTON deliv-
cred an address before the COM
mon council of New York city


I cred an address before the com
j mon council of New York city
in 1874. in which he said:
Il pray that heaven may bestow It's
choicest blessings on your city; that the
devastation of war in which you found
1t may soon be without trace; that
weli-regulated and beneficial commerce
may enrich your citizens. and that your
State-at present the seat of empire
may set such examples of wisdom as
shall have tendency to strengthen the
Union'
And from that day to this New York
has been known as the Empire State.
Back in the early days, before Amer
lea as nation began 10 make history,
somebody wrote romance ard called it
Las Sergas de Esplanadian," and some
body else published it In 1910. In this
tale beautiful pagan queen, called Cali
afia. living in a kingdom called Califor-
MIA, furnished an army of amazonians
TO Esplanadian, emperor OF the Greeks,
to aid IN defending Constantinople
against eastern infidels. This land of
the pagan queen was filled with gold
Cortez Named California.
CorteZ, the explorer of later date had
read and been impressed by this tale.
When he set out upon his expedition of
adventure his mind was thrilled at the
thought Of new riches he was to acquire
| and thus he called the land which he
discovered on the Pacific coast Califor-
MIA. From that day to this it has been
| known as the golden State. and its
people have been nieknamed gold
| hunters"
1t Is an interesting matter for investi
| cation, this of how the States OF ths
| Union came to be called what they are
called today, the manner in which they
| acquired their various nicknames ano
why their respective citizens are char
acterized by the more or less odiou!
| epithets that cling to them In othe
! words. why are North Carolinians call
ed tar heels" citizens of Colorado call
ed 'rovers,'' Indianians "hoosiers," O
Missourians 'pukes?''
1t is recalling facts in history to an
swer. In the first place. most of tn
States which form this Union took thei
names originally from the stream o
mountain that formed a conspicuou
feature of the territory, and these ha
heen previously named by the Indians
Celorado's Two Sobriquets.
The State of Colorado was named 70
the river. The word means red" A
general thing Colorado streams ar
clear, Hmpid, and reflect the blue of tn
. heavens and natures green But whe
mountain storms arise there is role
; through these disturbed waters quan
titles Of red sand. Hence the name.
Colorado was admitted into the Unio
) the year of the Centennial, and henc
| it's nickname the centennial State.
It's people are called ''rovers," an ep
thet that was called into being by tn
Pixies Peak gold fever.
To Missouri, named for the river tn
/ Indians called Big Muddy" and he
people is attached the reprehenSibl
= nickname of "puke' This dates bac
: to 1927, the time when the Galena lea
mines were drawing people from a
: over the country. So many Of thes
o came from Missouri that other Mi:
4 scuriaus who mad gone on before n
marked that the State had taken a sue
den -puhc-'
Suckers" "Hoosiers," "Hawkeyes." "
o Several years previous to this tin
a there had been big exodus from thes
;, same mines that had given rise to Il
;, nickname of the citizens of Illinois
Tribe of Men," as the Indian origins
. of the name signifies. large part
Il while boarding the steamer at the G'
o lena wharf was asked: Where
II coing?" ITO hum, was the repl
e We'll" was the rejoinder of the
miner, 'tye put me l., mind of sucker
a They do go up the river in the sprin
/" spawn and all return down again In 4
q fall" Thus Jllinoisans became sue
= ers." The State is known as The Pralr
,e state on account of its sweeping land
10 Just why Indianians are called hoo
20 iers'' is a matter that has not been e
y tfrely settled. In the earlier days |
" word ''husher" was common Weste
term for a bully, and this is offered
-, some authorities as an explanation
If the term hoosier. Others say that II