The Tar Heel State N.C. — Public Instruction, Department of nf tljr lltttwratg nf 5fartf} (Earnltna (Mlertintt of Notify (tenltmrnta N87pZ.\ BWSfflfl UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00032191155 FOR USE ONLY IN THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION Publication No. 252 The Tar Heel State A LEAFLET OF INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA Issued by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Raleigh, N. C. STATE NICKNAME— "TAR HEEL" When Carolina was divided in 1710, the southern part was called South Carolina and the northern or older settlement was called North Carolina, or the "Old North State." Historians had recorded that the principal products of this State were "tar, pitch and turpentine." It was during one of the fiercest battles of the War Between the States, so the story goes, that the column supporting the North Carolina troops was driven from the field. After the battle, the North Carolinians, who had successfully fought it out alone, were greeted from the passing derelict regiment with the question: "Any more tar down in the Old North State, boys?" Quick as a flash came the answer: "No; not a bit; old Jeff's bought it all up." "Is that so; what is he going to do with it?" was asked. "He is going to put it on you'ns heels to make you stick better in the next fight." Creecy relates that General Lee, hearing of the incident, said: "God bless the Tar Heel boys," and from that they took the name. — Adapted from Grand- father Tales of North Carolina by R. B. Creecy and Histories of North Carolina Regiments, Vol. Ill, by Walter Clark. STATE CAPITOL This building was begun in 1833 and completed in 18 40 at a total cost of $531,674.46. The columns and entablature of the building are Grecian Doric, copied from the Temple of Minerva, commonly called the Parthenon, which was erected in Athens about 500 B.C. It is judged by building experts as a gem of architecture. STATE CAPITAL In 17 91 the Legislature appointed a committee of nine persons to lay off a city within ten miles of Isaac Hunter's home. About March 20, 17 92, the committee met and bought from Joel Lane one thousand acres of land for one thousand three hun- dred and seventy-eight pounds. The members of the committee then laid off thel bounds of the present city of Raleigh named after the great Englishman, Sir Walter! Raleigh, who tried faithfully to found a colony on the coast of North Carolina. THE GOVERNOR Term: January 1945 to January 1949. R. Gregg Cherry, Governor, NORTH IS 30 45 60 75 INTERESTING FACTS NAME In 1629 King Charles the First of England "erected into a province," all the land from Albemarle Sound on the north to the St. John's River on the south, which he directed should be called Carolina. The word Carolina is from the word Carolus, the Latin form of Charles. FIRST SETTLERS Our first settlers were largely from Virginia. Some came from the New England States and others came direct from England. Still others came from the English Coloni Swiss. js in the West Indies. There were small settlements of French, German and OUR CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT The first constitution of North Carolina was adapted December IS, 177 6. This constitution provided for three departments of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The constitution was revised in 1835, and again in April 1868. This instrument with certain amendments is the foundation of the law and government of today. The executive department consists of a governor, a lieutenant-governor, a secretary of state, an auditor, a treasurer, a superintendent of public instruction, an attorney-general, a commissioner of agriculture, a commissioner of labor, and a commissioner of insurance. The governor and all other constitutional officers are elected for four year terms. The judicial department was formed by the General Assembly by the creation of courts and the election of judges. The legislature meets every two years, and the members are elected for that period. POPULATION North Carolina ranks 11th among the States in total population, 3,571,623 by the 1940 census. The population of the State increased 12.6 per cent between 1930 and 19 40, while the percentage increase for the country as a whole was 7.03. OLINA •ASW. PZRS'N GftAKfu, It OFA.\ \OUR 7%w HAT H, 1M 1 GEOGRAPHY Twenty-seventh State in size, with a total land area of 31,193,631 acres, North Carolina has 125 mountain peaks 5,000 feet or more in elevation, 43 of these being over 6,000 feet. North Carolina has about 320 miles of shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean, more than 1,500 miles of inland waterways, and approximately 3,000 square miles of coastal sounds. Greatest length of the State is 503 miles; greatest width, 188. EDUCATION There were 833,615 pupils enrolled in the elementary and high schools of the State during 1943-44. The amount invested in public school property is approximately $129,000,000. North Carolina transported 311,249 pupils to schools at public expense. The State appropriated $41,997,738 for the operation of a nine-months term and $1,257,427 for vocational education during 1946-47. The State operates six institutions of higher learning for the white race, Ave for Negroes, and one for Indians. There are 36 denominational and privately endowed colleges for white students and seven for Negroes. HIGHWAYS North Carolina was the first State to take over the improvement and maintenance of all its rural roads. There are some 59,000 miles of rural roads in the State, of which over 11,000 miles have been hard-surfaced. More than $275,000,000 derived from motor vehicle and gasoline taxes, have been spent for the construction of these roads, which serve every part of each of the State's 100 counties. NATURAL RESOURCES Approximately 20,568,000 of the 31,193,631 acres in the State are forest lands. About a billion board feet of timber are provided annually. Returns from commercial fisheries have been as high as $4,000,000 annually. Some 300 different species of native minerals are found. Wildlife and game is abundant. The State ranks high in value of farm products. STATE SONG By an act of the General Assembly of 1927, the song known as "The Old North State" was legally adopted as the official song of the State of North Carolina. THE OLD NORTH STATE (Traditional air as sung in 1926) William Gaston With spirit w Collected and arranged by Mrs. E. E. Randolph fc=fc 5 s — 9 — ** S-' — * 1 . Car - o - li - na! Car 2. Tho' she en - vies not 3. Then let all those who >^h — *a*j - ■ - rr i i ■ ! — p^- li - na! heav-en's bless-ings at - tend her, oth - ers, their mer - it - ed glo - ry, love us, love the land that we live in, *£— -(• r » * —i* — ,-1* » r-= P- ^=&^r- 1 \ KK — *■ — It— »j — \~ m 21 — *!• * L_ L aC :te£=: S=S: zt ^=^ While we live we will cher - ish, pro - tect and de -fend her, Tho' the Say whose name stands the fore - most, in lib - er - ty'ssto - ry, Tho' too As hap ■ ny a re - gion as on this side of heav-en, Where -m- r * £=b -L_ j:. I | j ij - Ejgznzfc: £^£ r- scorn - er may sneer at and wit - lings de - fame her, Still our hearts swell with true to her - self e'er to crouch to op -pres-sion, Who can yield to just plen - ty and peace, love and joy smile be - fore us, Raise a-loud, rais; to- 3e=s»: j&~- i — r in inzt^t E ^3 3=3 Chorus :ta= — 1 •> — i «| _| -^ 1 1 — i — i 1 — u glad - ness when ev - er we name her. rule a more loy - al sub - mis - sion. Hur - rah! geth - er the heart thrill - ing cho-rus. — r& , — Hur - rah! the Bs^eeeE 'mmm _t£e — tp 1, . . T I : — zrrrl N=!=t r££. m— L J „ J— L. a Hur -rah! the good Old North State. STATE MOTTO Nearly every State has adopted a motto, generally in Latin, for the reason that Latin is more condensed and terse than English. The motto of North Carolina, "Esse Quam Videri" means "to be rather than to seem." It is found in Cicero's essay on Friendship (Chapter 26), where he says, "Virtue enim ipsa non tam multi prediti esse quam videri," meaning when translated literally, "for indeed not so many wish to be endowed with virtue as wish to seem to be." STATE SEAL The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina is two and one-quarter inches i in diameter, and its design is a representation of the figures of Liberty and Plenty, looking towards each other, but not more than half fronting each other, and other- wise disposed as follows: Liberty, the first figure standing, her pole with cap on it in her left hand and a scroll with the word "Constitution" inscribed thereon in her right hand. Plenty, the second figure, sitting down, her right arm half extended to- ward Liberty, three heads of wheat in her right hand, and in her left the small end of her horn, the mouth of which is resting at her feet, and the contents of horn rolling r out. In the exergue is inserted the words "May 20, 1775," above the coat of arms. [Around the circumference is the legend: "The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina," and the motto, "Esse Quam Videri." STATE FLOWER The dogwood was adopted as the official State flower of North Carolina by the General Assembly of 1941. STATE BIRD By an act of the General Assembly of 19 43 the Cardinal was declared to be the official State Bird of North Carolina. (Cover illustration courtesy N. C. Bird Club.) STATE FLAG The model of the flag as used today was adopted in 1S8 5. It consists of a blue union containing in the center thereof a white star with the letter N in gilt on the left and the letter C in gilt on the right of the star. The fly of the flag consists of two equally proportional bars, the upper bar red and the lower bar white. The length of these bars is equal to the perpendicular length of the union, and the total length of the flag is one-third more than its width. Above the star in the center of the union is a gilt scroll in semi-circular form, containing in black the inscription: "May 20, 1775," and below the star is a similar scroll containing the inscription: "April 12, 1776." This first date was placed on the flag to mark the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. The second date marks the day on which the Halifax Convention empowered the North Carolina members of the Continental Congress to concur with the delegates of the other colo- nies in declaring independence. m m Bb&bEBi ^ : 'f : .;4;;:^';^ :V^/."-,;'"'V^-.\ V'.;. •■••"■ : :■';■■■>•. •■;■■■'..■'■■•. :;'--v : .-..- V ;...:. H ■-.■■■■.•■■•- 1 ■■■■''■■ • ■'■.■• ''•'.*. •'■■''•'■■.■■"-'■•••■' ' IBBSi •• ■-■■•■■ ■■•.■•■..■■.■ . , 1 v • - j : .' '■