Louise Carroll: Lesser-known Pennsylvania state symbols

Recently, I saw a picture of a Great Dane and remembered the Great Dane is the official state dog of Pennsylvania since 1965.

The legislation states naming an official dog of the commonwealth would "recognize the steadfast service and loyal devotion of all dogs in Pennsylvania."

Look at the profile of the Great Dane's head and it looks like the shape of Pennsylvania, but I don't think that’s why it was chosen. A portrait of William Penn and his Great Dane hangs in the governor's reception room. It’s "Best Friend" by Pennsylvania artist Violet Oakley.

Like many things, it's not what it seems; the Great Dane is German, not Danish, and it has been around for more than 400 years. It descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and used as guardians of German nobility. In frontier Pennsylvania, Great Danes were used as a hunting and working breed. It’s one of the two largest dog breeds in the world, along with the Irish Wolfhound.

In order for something to be named the official state symbol, it has to be voted on and passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature, so it’s a big deal.

Some things I learned in school, like the official state animal is the white-tailed deer, the bird is the ruffed grouse and the flower is the mountain laurel, but there are a whole lot more I have never heard of or have forgotten.

The official beverage of Pennsylvania is milk. Oh, honestly. I thought it was pop.

At some time, I must have learned the state motto but I didn't remember it’s "Virtue, Liberty, Independence." Did you know that? I would really like to know how many people knew that.

Our state's official firearm is the Pennsylvania long rifle and it really was long; 54-70 inches long. It must have been a chore just to carry the rifle. When they wanted to fire, they had to find a crook in a tree to rest it on.

I was curious why the Piper Cub was the official airplane of our state and I learned the company started in 1927 in Rochester, New York. But in 1929, the company moved to Bradford, PA when oil industry engineer William T. Piper purchased a controlling share in the Taylor Aircraft Co. for $761 as it emerged from bankruptcy.

I asked a group of friends what the official fish of our state is and right away they thought of trout and rainbow trout, but the official fish is the brook trout. Our state tree is the eastern hemlock and our official insect is the lovely firefly.

Pennsylvania has a very special official plant, the penngift crownvetch. We are the only state that has a designated "beautification and conservation plant" as a state symbol.I didn't know it was an official plant, but I knew about it because my husband was a beekeeper and he would walk along country roads and throw out the crownvetch seeds to help spread it. In 1935, it was discovered on Mr. Gift's farm in Pennsylvania. It is valuable as food for livestock, erosion control and nitrogen feeding of soil.

Maine has an official cat, the Maine Coon, but I'm not jealous because we have an official airplane and official insect that lights up.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Louise Carroll: Lesser-known Pennsylvania state symbols