Here's to the land of the long leaf pine,
The summer land where the sun doth shine,
Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great,
Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!
Here's to the land of the cotton bloom white,
Where the scuppernong perfumes the breeze at night,
Where the soft southern moss and jessamine mate,
'Neath the murmuring pines of the Old North State!
Here's to the land where the galax grows,
Where the rhododendron's rosette glows,
Where soars Mount Mitchell's summit great,
In the "Land of the Sky," in the Old North State!
Here's to the land where maidens are fair,
Where friends are true and cold hearts rare,
The near land, the dear land, whatever fate,
The blest land, the best land, the Old North State!
Nickname: The Old
North State or The Tar Heel State
In 1629, King Charles I 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.
"When Carolina was divided in 1710, the southern part was called
South Carolina and the northern, or older settlement, North Carolina.
From this came the nickname the "Old North State." Historians have
recorded that the principle products during the early history of North
Carolina 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's going to put on you-un's heels to make you stick better in the
next fight." Creecy relates that General Lee, upon hearing of the
incident, said: "God bless the Tar Heel boys," and from that they
took the name (Adapted from Grandfather Tales of North Carolina by
R.B. Creecy and Histories of North Carolina Regiments, Vol. III, by
Walter Clark)."