Symbol | Official Item

"Illinois," words written by C.H. Chamberlain and music composed by Archibald Johnston, was designated the official state song of Illinois in 1955. All State Songs

Illinois designated white oak (Quercus alba) as the official state tree in 1973, the result of a special poll of 900,000 schoolchildren. All State Trees

The state tree had previously been native oak (adopted in 1908), but there are many species of "native oak" in the state of Illinois, and no particular one had been specified.

Illinois designated big bluestem grass (Adropogon gerardii) as the official state prairie grass in 1989 following a poll of students conducted by the Illinois Department of Conservation. All State Grasses & Plants

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) was designated the official state fish of Illinois in 1986 (selected by the school children of the state). All State Fish

Bluegill Facts

A member of the sunfish family, bluegill are found throughout Illinois. Bluegills can be recognized by their stripy olive to yellow colors and the distinctive black spot behind its gills.

Fluorite was designated as the official state mineral of Illinois in 1965. All State Minerals

Illinois is the largest producer of fluorite in the United States (the most important deposits are located in southern Illinois at Rosiclare and Cave-in-Rock).

Fluorite is an important industrial mineral; it's used in the production of steel (used as a flux, or cleaning agent), to make hydrofluoric acid (for pottery, optics, and plastics), to make opalescent glass, and in enameling cookware.

Drummer silty clay loam was designated the official state soil of Illinois in 2001 to recognize its value to agriculture and the overall economy of the state. Drummer soil is deep, dark black topsoil named for Drummer Creek (in Drummer Township, IL). Each state of the U.S. has selected a representative state soil and over twenty states have recognized their representative soil as an official state symbol. All State Soils

In 1995, Illinois designated "The Great American People Show" as the official "state theatre of Lincoln and the American Experience." All State Theaters

"The Great American People Show" was a not-for-profit theater company known for plays about Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. A regional favorite for years - the theater played for twenty seasons in New Salem, IL (near Springfield), beginning in 1976, and ending with the dissolution of the theater company in 1996.

Illinois designated the square dance as the official state American Folk Dance in 1990. All State Dances

Twenty-two states have declared the square dance as an official state symbol, and more than thirty bills have been introduced at the federal level proposing the square dance as the national (folk) dance of the United States.

Illinois schoolchildren selected the cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) as the State Bird of Illinois, made official in 1929 by the Illinois General Assembly. The cardinal is the state bird of seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. All State Birds

North Dakota designated western wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii) as the official state grass in 1977. The North Dakota Chapter of the Society for Range Management initiated the process for adopting an official state grass. All State Grasses & Plants