The Hagerman horse fossil was designated the official state fossil of Idaho in 1988. All State Fossils
3.5 million year old sediments at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in Idaho contain the world's richest known fossil deposits from the late Pliocene epoch (200 horse skeletons have been recovered at the Hagerman Fossil Beds, 20 of which are complete).
Syringa was designated the official state flower of Idaho in 1931. All State Flowers
The star garnet was designated the official state stone or gem of Idaho in 1967. More precious than either star rubies or star sapphires, the Idaho garnet is usually dark purple or plum in color, with four rays in the star (occasionally the star has six rays, as in a sapphire). All State Gems
Oregon designated navy blue and gold as the official state colors in 1959. All State Colors
Navy blue and gold are the colors of Oregon's state flag.
Oregon designated Tabitha Moffatt Brown (1780-1858) as the mother of Oregon in 1987. Father of Oregon
In 1846, 66-year-old Tabitha joined a wagon train traveling from Missouri to Oregon, suffering much hardship and loss before arriving in Salem, Oregon.
Oregon designated Dr. John McLoughlin "The Father of Oregon" in 1957 in recognition of his great contributions to the early development of the Oregon territory. Mother of Oregon
Oregon designated the Oregon grape blossom as the official state flower in 1899. All State Flowers
Also called holly-leaved barberry, the Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) is a shrub native to much of the Pacific coast and and is also found sparsely east of the Cascades. Its year-round foliage of pinnated, waxy green leaves resembles holly.and resists wilting (the foliage is sometimes used by florists for greenery).
Minnesota designated ice hockey as the official state sport in 2009. All State Sports
Adopting ice hockey as the state sport was suggested by sixth-graders at Minnetonka Middle School East, who collected over 600 signatures in support of the proposal.
On April 29, 2014 Tennessee designated dogs and cats that have been adopted from Tennessee animal shelters and rescues as official state pets. Colorado, Georgia, and California also recognize rescue and shelter dogs and cats as state symbols. All State Pets
Currently there are around eight million abandoned pets living in animal shelters in the United States and three to four million of these dogs and cats are euthanized every year.
The western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) was chosen as the state bird of Oregon in 1927 by the state's school children in a poll sponsored by the Oregon Audubon Society. All State Birds