Official Symbols of Oregon

	The first written record of the NAME "Oregon" comes from a 1765 proposal for a journey written by Major Robert Rogers, an English army officer. It reads: "The rout ... is from the Great Lakes towards the Head of the Mississippi, and from thence to the River called by the Indians Ouragon ... ." When his proposal was rejected, Rogers reapplied in 1772, using the spelling "Ourigan." The first printed use of the current spelling appeared in Captain Jonathan Carver's 1778 book Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America 1766, 1767, and 1768, in which he listed the four great rivers of the continent, including "the River Oregon, or the River of the West, that falls into the Pacific Ocean at the Straits of Annian."
	The American Beaver (Castor canadensis) was named Oregon State ANIMAL by the State Legislature in 1969. Oregon is known as the "Beaver State," and Oregon State University's athletic teams are called the "Beavers."
	The Oregon State Legislature selected Milk as the State BEVERAGE in 1997 because milk production and the manufacture of dairy products are major contributors to the economy of Oregon.
	Oregon schoolchildren chose the Western Meadow Lark (Sturnella neglecta) as the State BIRD in 1927, as the result of a poll sponsored by the Oregon Audubon Society.
	Following a trend set by several other states, the Oregon Legislature declared the Square Dance to be the official State DANCE, in 1977.
	The Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) was declared the official State FISH by the Legislature in 1961. The largest of the Pacific salmons, the Chinook is highly prized for the fresh fish trade and draws thousands of fishermen to Oregon every year.
	Adopted in 1925, the Oregon State FLAG is navy blue with gold lettering and symbols. The front of the flag features the shield from the State Seal surrounded by 33 stars (symbolizing that Oregon was the 33rd state); "STATE OF OREGON" is above the shield, and "1859" (the year of Oregon's admission to the Union) is below. Oregon is the only state in the Union whose flag has a different pattern on the reverse side -- the silhouette of a beaver, the State Animal. The dress or parade flag has a gold fringe; the utility flag has a plain border.
	The Legislature designated the Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) as the State FLOWER by resolution in 1899.
	The Legislature designated the Metasequoia (dawn redwood) as the State FOSSIL by resolution in 2005. Metasequoia fossils are found embedded in rocks across the Oregon landscape, and its designation as State Fossil was part of a long-term effort to draw attention to Oregon's paleontologic and geologic resources.
	The Legislature designated the Pear (Pyrus commuis) as the State FRUIT by resolution in 2005. A variety of pears are grown in Oregon, including Comice, Anjou, Bosc, and Bartlett, and the pear is the top-selling fruit crop in the state.
	The Legislature designated the Oregon Sunstone as the State GEMSTONE in 1987. The gem attracts collectors and miners and has been identified as a boon to tourism in southeastern Oregon, where it is found in abundance.
	The Legislature designated the Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio oregonius) as State INSECT in 1979 because it is one of the few butterflies truly native to the Northwest.
	She Flies with Her Own Wings was adopted as the State MOTTO by the Legislature in 1987. The phrase originated with Judge Jessie Quinn Thornton and was pictured on the territorial seal in Latin: Alis Volat Propiis.
	The Legislature named the Pacific Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus) the State MUSHROOM in 1999. This wild, edible mushroom is unique to the Pacific Northwest, and more than 500,000 pounds of them are harvested annually in Oregon.
	The Legislature named the Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) as the State NUT in 1989 because 99 percent of the total U.S. commercial crop of Hazelnuts is grown in Oregon.
	The Legislature named the Thunder-Egg (geode) as the State ROCK in 1965, after rockhounds throughout the state voted it first choice.
	The State SHIELD consists of an escutcheon (shield) supported by 33 stars and divided by an ordinary (ribbon) with the inscription "The Union" (the State Motto until 1987). Above the ordinary are the mountains and forests of Oregon, an elk with branching antlers, a covered wagon and ox team, the Pacific Ocean with setting sun, a departing British man-of-war signifying the departure of British influence in the region and an arriving American merchant ship signifying the rise of American power. Below the ordinary is a quartering with a sheaf of wheat, plow and pickax, which represent Oregon's mining and agricultural resources. The crest is the American Bald Eagle. Around the perimeter of the seal is the legend "State of Oregon 1859." The seal was designed by Benjamin F. Burch, L.F. Grover and James K. Kelly.
	Fusitriton oregonensis was the scientific name given to the Oregon Hairy Triton by a conchologist (shell expert) in 1848. Reaching lengths up to five inches, it is one of the largest seashells found in Oregon. The Legislature named it the State SEASHELL in 1991.
	Oregon, My Oregon was written by J.A. Buchanan (of Astoria) and Henry B. Murtagh (of Portland) in 1920. With this song, Buchanan and Murtagh won a statewide competition sponsored by the Society of Oregon Composers. It was designated the State SONG in 1927.
	The Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) was named for David Douglas, a 19th-century Scottish botanist. It was designated the State TREE in 1939.