Did you know we’ve got a drink, a tree, a bird, a theater, an amphibian, a song, and two locomotives that all officially symbolize Pennsylvania?
We get a new state symbol when the Pennsylvania General Assembly decides something is significant enough to our commonwealth to earn the name “Pennsylvania’s official ______.” And these can get pretty specific.
Without further ado, here are a few …
🌲 State Tree: Eastern Hemlock
Used for things like building cabins, this big evergreen tree was at the “forefront of the industrialization of America,” according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The eastern hemlock became a state symbol in 1931, partially to bring public attention to the need to conserve it in light of Pennsylvania’s increasing deforestation.
🐟 State Fish: Brook Trout
Found primarily in mountain streams with clean water, this native species was named Pennsylvania’s official state fish in 1970. The state legislature recognized the fish for being the “most beautiful and widely distributed member of the salmon family in the State.”
🎵 State Song: ‘Pennsylvania’
Have you ever heard this song before? Written by Eddie Khoury and Ronnie Bonner, the lyrics shout out our state’s “glory and tradition,” the Liberty Bell, and the creation of the American flag. (Listen to it here.) It was adopted as state song in 1990 after a call for submissions. Some current lawmakers, however, want to scrap it and find a new and improved state tune.
🚢 State Flagship: The Brig Niagara
The “Flagship of Pennsylvania” is docked in Erie, and is one of just three surviving American battleships from the War of 1812. Nowadays, when it’s not at its dock, the U.S. Brig Niagara customarily sails around the Great Lakes promoting the Keystone State. This year, however, it’s been out of commission for repairs.
🚂 State Locomotives: K4S 1361 Steam Locomotive and GG1 4859 Electric Locomotive
Yes, we’ve got not one, but two state locomotives. They were both designated at the same time, in 1987. The K4S 1361, aka the “Spirit of Altoona,” hauled trains on the Pennsylvania Railroad for 35 years starting in 1918. It’s now displayed at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona.
The GG1 4859, built in 1937, was the first electric locomotive to pull a passenger train into Harrisburg, on a trip that originated in Philly. The long-retired locomotive is now on display at Harrisburg’s Amtrak station.
Phacops rana, our state fossil. (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources)
🦀 State Fossil: Phacops rana
The General Assembly named this trilobite (a small, extinct sea creature) the official state fossil in 1988 because of its presence throughout Pennsylvania. According to the PA DCNR, these animals were related to crabs, spiders, and shrimps, and were “among the most complex of all the animals that ever existed without backbones.” Phacops rana have been found in rocks that are hundreds of millions of years old.
Want to test yourself on your recognition of some less niche state symbols? (Think dog, drink, etc.) Well, good news! You can play along as I quiz my team on eight more state symbols, two proposed ones, and Philly’s “official sandwich” on the City Cast Philly podcast.
