Nebraska
It is easy to visualize the Old West in the land of Nebraska. This is the territory
of the Pony Express, the Overland Stage, Boot Hill, the Oregon and Mormon Trails.
This is where the mighty Missouri flows, and where the Sioux and the Omaha have
flourished. This is where historical figures, like Crazy Horse and Chief Red Cloud,
Walter Reed, and Lewis and Clark played out the early history of the American
West. The stagecoaches and steam locomotives may be gone today, but the days of
trappers and traders, of pioneers and explorers, remain in the spirit of Nebraska.
The Cornhusker State: (Official)
"The Cornhusker State" officially replaced "The Tree Planters State"
in 1945 in recognition of The University of Nebraska football team, the Cornhuskers.
It is now more generally associated with all University of Nebraska athletics.
It is also said that this nickname refers to the corn that supports Nebraska beef
cattle and another state nickname; "The Beef State." "Cornhusker
State" appeared on Nebraska license plates from 1969 to 1975.
The Tree Planters State: Officially
designated by an act of the Nebraska legislature on April 4, 1895, "The Tree
Planters State" nickname was offered as a more fitting representation of
the state than others that were in use at the time. This name refers to the millions
of trees planted by early Nebraska settlers as windbreaks, orchards and fuel woodlots.
Arbor Day was founded in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska City and Nebraska's
U.S. Senator Phineas W. Hitchcock introduced the Timber Culture Act in 1873. "The
Tree Planters State" was officially replaced by "The Cornhusker State"
in 1945.
The Beef State: This nickname is
in reference to one of Nebraska's main industries; beef. With about 2 million
head of beef cows, it's easy to understand why Nebraska is sometimes referred
to as "The Beef State." "The Beef State" was carried on Nebraska
license plates from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. |
