Photo: Jeremy Hynes

By Jeff Wagner - CBS Minnesota News - September 5, 2022 

From our many lakes to our hearty foods, Minnesota has many well-known symbols. But there are nearly 20 officially designated for the state.

How are official state symbols chosen? And which ones haven't made the cut? Good Question.

You might be surprised that in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," the bodies of water in question aren't among the 19 official state symbols.

Some of the ones that do have an official designation are pretty easy to name -- walleye as the state fish, the loon as the state bird, and the lady slipper as the state flower. Dig a little deeper, though, and you might be surprised.

The state drink is milk, and has been since it was so designated in 1984. The state grain is not wheat but, rather, wild rice, earning the official status in 1977. In 2006, the official state fruit was selected -- Honeycrisp apples.

As to how symbols are chosen, lawmakers write the bills and vote on them, but they're often inspired by somebody else. Elementary school students proposed the blueberry muffin, the monarch butterfly, and hockey as state symbols, all of which passed.

But for every symbol that's been approved over the years, dozens get passed over. Their unsuccessful journeys are archived at the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.

In 1992, square dancing failed at becoming the official state folk dance. The giant beaver and its huge teeth came up short at becoming the state fossil, while the Blandings turtle lost the race to become the state's official reptile.

The recipe for the next state symbol isn't an exact science, but so long as it honors history, is ever-present, or is universally loved, it has a chance.

To read this original story and more news, follow this link to the CBS Minnesota News website.