Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States, Seventh Edition Volume 2 Nebraska to Wyoming and District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U S Dependencies, and U S Overview-[Timothy L Gall, Editor in Chief].pdf

WORLDMARK
ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF THE STATES
ISSN 1531-1627
WORLDMARK
ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF THE STATES,
seventh edition
Volume 2
Nebraska to Wyoming
and District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
. Dependencies, and . Overview
NEBRASKA
State of Nebraska
ORIGIN OF STATE NAME: Derived from the Oto Indian word nebrathka, meaning “fl at water”(for the Platte
River). NICKNAME: Th e Cornhusker State. CAPITAL: Lincoln. ENTERED UNION: 1 March 1867 (37th).
SONG: “Beautiful Nebraska.” MOTTO: Equality Before the Law. FLAG: Th e great seal appears in the center,
in gold and silver, on a fi eld of blue. OFFICIAL SEAL: Agriculture is represented by a farmer’s cabin, sheaves
of wheat, and growing corn; the mechanic arts, by a blacksmith. Above is the state motto; in the background,
a steamboat plies the Missouri River and a train heads toward the Rockies. Th e scene is surrounded by the
words “Great Seal of the State of Nebraska, March 1st 1867.” BIRD: Western meadowlark. FLOWER: Golden-
rod. TREE: Western cottonwood. GEM: Blue agate. LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Birthday
of Martin Luther King Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Presidents’ Day, 3rd Monday in February; Arbor Day, last
Friday in April; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in
September; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; Veterans’ Day, 11 November; Th anksgiving, 4th Th urs-
day in November and following Friday; Christmas Day, 25 December. Other days for special observances in-
clude Pioneers’ Memorial Day, 2nd Sunday in June; Nebraska Czech Day, 1st Sunday in August; and Ameri-
can Indian Day, 4th Monday in September. TIME: 6 AM CST = noon GMT; 5 AM MST = noon GMT.
1LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT brara River traverses the state’s northern region, and the Republi-
can River fl ows through southern Nebraska.
Located in the western north-central United States, Nebraska
ranks 15th in size among the 50 states. Th e total