Colorado State Archives
Symbols & Emblems
Colorado has an official state flag, a state seal, two
state songs and
many official emblems and symbols. These have been
officially adopted by legislative action of the Colorado
General Assembly or by executive order of the Governor of
Colorado. The official designation of several of our
symbols and emblems was influenced by the participation of
Colorado school children and their teachers in the
legislative process.
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State Flag
The state flag was adopted on June 5, 1911 by an act of
the General Assembly. The flag was adopted to be used on
all occasions when the state is officially and publicly
represented, with the privilege of use by all citizens
upon such occasions as they deem fitting and appropriate.
Laws pertaining to use of the National flag are also
applicable to use of the State flag.
The flag consists of three alternate stripes of equal width and at right angles to the staff, the two outer stripes to be blue of the same color as in the blue field of the national flag and the middle stripe to be white, the proportion of the flag being a width of two-thirds of its length. At a distance from the staff end of the flag of one fifth of the total length of the flag there is a circular red C, of the same color as the red in the national flag of the United States. The diameter of the letter is two-thirds of the width of the flag. The inner line of the opening of the letter C is three-fourths of the width of its body or bar, and the outer line of the opening is double the length of the inner line thereof. Completely filling the open space inside the letter C is a golden disk, attached to the flag is a cord of gold and silver, intertwined, with tassels, one of gold and one of silver. The flag was originally designed by Andrew Carlisle Johnson. Precise colors of red and blue were not designated in the 1911 legislation and some controversy arose over these colors. On February 28, 1929, the General Assembly stipulated the precise colors of red and blue as the same as the national flag. Controversy also arose over the size of the letter C and on March 31, 1964, the General Assembly further modified the 1911 legislation by revising the distance from the staff for the letter C and its diameter. Citations: Senate Bill 118, 1911; Senate Bill 152, 1929; Senate Bill , 1964. Flag Chronology The geographical territory which comprises the present day State of Colorado has historically been under many flags.
State Seal
The circular Seal of the State of Colorado is an
adaptation of the Territorial Seal which was adopted by
the First Territorial Assembly on November 6, 1861. The
only changes made in the Territorial Seal design being the
substitution of the words, "State of Colorado"
and the figures "1876" for the corresponding
inscriptions on the territorial seal. The first General
Assembly of the State of Colorado approved the adoption of
the state seal on March 15, 1877. The Colorado Secretary
of State alone is authorized to affix the Great Seal of
Colorado to any document whatsoever.
By statute, the seal of the State is two and one-half
inches in diameter with the following devices inscribed
thereon: At the top is the eye of God within a triangle,
from which golden rays radiate on two sides. Below the eye
is a scroll, the Roman fasces, a bundle of birch or elm
rods with a battle axe bound together by red thongs and
bearing on a band of red, white and blue, the word,
"Union and Constitution." The Roman fasces is
the insignia of a republican form of government. The
bundle of rods bound together symbolizes strength which is
lacking in the single rod. The axe symbolizes authority
and leadership. Below the scroll is the heraldic shield
bearing across the top on a red ground three snow-capped
mountains with clouds above them. The lower half of the
shield has two miner's tools, the pick and sledge hammer,
crossed on a golden ground. Below the shield in a
semicircle is the motto, "Nil Sine Numine",
Latin words meaning "nothing without the Deity",
and at the bottom the figures 1876, the year Colorado came
into statehood.The design for the Territorial Seal which served as a model for the State Seal or Great Seal of Colorado has been variously credited, but the individual primarily responsible was Lewis Ledyard Weld, the Territorial Secretary, appointed by President Lincoln in July of 1861. There is also evidence that Territorial Governor William Gilpin also was at least partially responsible for the design. Both Weld and Gilpin were knowledgeable in the art and symbolism of heraldry. Elements of design from both the Weld and Gilpin family coat-of-arms are incorporated in the Territorial Seal. Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State MottoNil Sine NumineThe Latin phrase "Nil Sine Numine", was adopted as part of the Territorial Seal. At recurring intervals, discussion has ensued concerning interpretation of this Latin phrase which commonly translated is "Nothing without Providence". Others say it is "Nothing without God". In the early mining days of the State, the unregenerate said it meant "nothing without a new mine". In a strict sense, one cannot possibly get "God" from "numine", God being a purely Anglo-Saxon word. The word "numine" means any divinity, god or goddess. The best evidence of intent of Colorado's official designers and framers of the resolution for adoption of the seal is contained in the committee report wherein clear distinction was made between "numine" and "Deo" and it is specifically states that the committee's interpretative translation was "Nothing without the Deity". Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Name and NicknamesThe name of our state, Colorado, has its origin in the Spanish language, as the word for "colored red". This was the name chosen for Colorado as a Territory in 1861 by Congress.Colorado has been nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it became a state in the year 1876, 100 years after the signing of our nation's Declaration of Independence. Colorado also is called "Colorful Colorado" presumably because of our magnificent scenery of mountains, rivers and plains. This phrase has decorated maps, car license plates, tourist information centers and souvenirs of all kinds! Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Animal
The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Ovis canadensis,
was adopted as the official state animal on May 1, 1961 by
an act of the General Assembly. The Rocky Mountain Bighorn
Sheep is found only in the Rockies, usually above
timberline in rugged mountainous areas. The male sheep is
three to three and a half feet tall at the shoulder and
weighs up to three hundred pounds, while the female is
slightly smaller. These large animals are known for their
agility and perfect sense of balance. The bighorn sheep
was named for its massive horns which curve backward from
the forehead, down, then forward. On the ram the horns can
be as much as fifty inches in length. It is unlawful to
pursue, take, hunt, wound, or kill the Rocky Mountain
Bighorn Sheep except as provided by law. Citation: Senate
Bill 294, 1961; Colorado Revised Statute 24-80-911.
Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Bird
The Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocoryus Stejneger,
was adopted as the official state bird on April 29, 1931.
The Lark Bunting is a migrant bird. Flocks arrive in April
and inhabit the plains regions and areas up to 8,000 feet
in elevation. They fly south again in September. The male
bird is black with snowy white wing patches and edgings,
tail coverts and outer tail feathers. In winter the male
bird changes to a gray brown like the female bird, however
the chin remains black and the black belly feathers retain
white edgings. The female bird is gray brown above and
white below with dusky streaks. The male bird is six to
seven inches while the female is slightly smaller. The
male bird performs a spectacular courtship flight, during
which he warbles and trills a distinctive mating song.
Citation: House Bill 222, 1931; Colorado Revised Statute
24-80-910.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Fish
The Greenback Cutthroat Trout, Oncorhynchus clarki
somias, was adopted as the official state fish on
March 15, 1994, by an act of the General Assembly. The
Rainbow Trout was considered the state fish from 1954
until 1994, however it was never officially adopted. The
Greenback Cutthroat Trout was at one time indigenous to
many small creeks, streams and rivers throughout most of
Colorado. As mining and human occupation expanded across
the state, the greenback easily succumbed to pollution
from mine tailings in the state's streams and to
competition from other species of trout introduced to
Colorado waters. The demise was so complete that up until
the late 1980's biologists feared the extinction of this
native fish. However, researchers in the early 1990's
discovered several small populations of the greenback in a
few remote streams in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Colorado Division of Wildlife and National Park personnel
took immediate steps to protect and propagate the
greenback. Plans have been made to reintroduce this
colorful fish to other waters within the state which are
suitable for its repopulation. Citation: House Bill 1164,
1994; Colorado Revised Statute 24-80-911.5.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Flower
The white and lavender Columbine, Aquilegia caerulea,
was adopted as the official state flower on April 4, 1899
by an act of the General Assembly. In 1925, the General
Assembly made it the duty of all citizens to protect this
rare species from needless destruction or waste. To
further protect this fragile flower, the law prohibits
digging or uprooting the flower on public lands and limits
the gathering of buds, blossoms and stems to 25 in one
day. It is unlawful to pick the columbine on private land
without consent of the land owner. Citation: Senate Bill
261, 1899, Bill, 1925; Colorado Revised Statutes 24-80-905
through 24-80-908.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Folk DanceThe Square Dance was adopted as the official state folk dance on March 16, 1992 by an act of the General Assembly. Square dancing is the American folk dance which traces its ancestry to the English country dance and the French ballroom dance, and which is called, cued, or prompted to the dancers and includes squares, rounds, clogging, contra, line, the Virginia Reel, and heritage dances. Citation: House Bill 1058, 1992; Colorado Revised Statute 24-80-909.5.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Fossil
The Stegosaurus was designated as the official state
fossil on April 28, 1982 by executive order of Governor
Richard D. Lamm. The Stegosaurus lived in the area we now
know as Colorado one hundred and fifty million years ago
during the Mesozoic era in the Jurassic period. It is
believed that a typical Stegosaurus weighed ten tons
though its brain weighed only two and one-half ounces.
There are only 6 skeletons of the Stegosaurus on public
display in the United States, one of which may be viewed
at the Museum of Natural History in Denver. This skeleton
was discovered by a teacher and students from Canon City
High School.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Gemstone
The aquamarine was adopted as the official state gemstone
on April 30, 1971, by an act of the General Assembly. The
mountain peaks of Mount Antero and White Mountain in
Colorado are among the finest quality localities known for
gem aquamarine. They are also among the highest in
elevation, located at 14,000 feet. The granite rock of
these peaks contains pegmatite bodies that are
characterized by large miarolitic cavities containing the
gem quality aquamarine crystals. The cavities are found
through a vertical area of a mere 500 feet. The crystals
in these cavities range in color from light blue to pale
and deep aquamarine green, and in size from very small to
6 cm in length. Citation: House Bill 1104, 1971; Colorado
Revised Statute 24-80-912.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Grass
Blue Grama grass was adopted as the official state grass
on May 20, 1987, by a resolution of the General Assembly.
Blue Grama is a grass native to the state of Colorado,
growing throughout many of the state's life zones on both
sides of the Continental Divide. Grasslands are an
important resource to the State of Colorado with
considerable economic and conservation significance. A
state grass was designated to help inform and educate
citizens and tourists about this resource. Citation:
Senate Joint Resolution 13, 1987.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Insect
The Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly Hypaurotis cysaluswas
adopted as the official state insect on April 17, 1996.
The butterfly is two inches in width and has purple wings
with black borders, orange accents in the corners and blue
on the underside. It may be found on both sides of the
Continental Divide at elevations of 6,500 to 7,500 feet,
in its usual habitat of scrub oak ecosystems. Citation:
Senate Bill 122, 1996; Colorado Revised Statute 24-80-913.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view more emblems and symbols. State Songs"Where the Columbines Grow" was adopted as the official state song on May 8, 1915, by an act of the General Assembly. The words were written and the music composed by A.J. Fynn. Traveling by horse and wagon to visit Indian tribes in the San Luis Valley in 1896, Fynn received inspiration to write the song after he came across a beautiful Colorado mountain meadow which was covered with columbines. He dedicated the song to the Colorado pioneers. If you have audio, listen to the state song."Where the Columbines Grow" by A.J. Fynn, 1915 Verse One Where the snowy peaks gleam in the moonlight, Above the dark forests of pine, And the wild foaming waters dash onward, Toward lands where the tropic stars shine; Where the scream of the bold mountain eagle Responds to the notes of the dove Is the purple robed West, the land that is best, The pioneer land that we love. Chorus Tis the land where the columbines grow, Overlooking the plains far below, While the cool summer breeze in the evergreen trees Softly sings where the columbines grow. Verse Two The bison is gone from the upland, The deer from the canyon has fled, The home of the wolf is deserted, The antelope moans for his dead, The war whoop re-echoes no longer, The Indian's only a name, And the nymphs of the grove in their loneliness rove, But the columbine blooms just the same. Verse Three Let the violet brighten the brookside, In sunlight of earlier spring, Let the fair clover bedeck the green meadow, In days when the orioles sing, Let the golden rod herald the autumn, But, under the midsummer sky, In its fair Western home, may the columbine bloom Till our great mountain rivers run dry. Sheet music may be ordered through retail sheet music stores. It is not available from the State of Colorado. Citation: Senate Bill 308, 1915; Colorado Revised Statute 24-80-909. "Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver (lyrics) and Mike Taylor (music) 1973 "Rocky Mountain High" was adopted as another State Song with the passage of SJR07-023 on March 12, 2007. After the song's release in 1973 there was some controversy as some people thought that it encouraged drug use. Denver, in 1985, responded by saying that these people had obviously never experienced the beauty and wonder of the Rocky Mountains. Denver's real name was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. but his stage name came from the capital city of Colorado.
Verse One
He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he'd never been before. He left yesterday behind him you might say he was born again, might say he found a key for every door. When he first came to the mountains His life was far away on the road and hanging by a song. But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care, it keeps changin' fast, and it don't last for long.
Chorus
Return to Emblems and Symbols or
scroll down to view more emblems and symbols.It's a Colorado Rocky Mountain High, I've seen it raining fire in the sky The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullabye. Rocky Mountain High, ...in Colorado.... Rocky Mountain High. Verse Two He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below, saw everything as far as you can see. And they say that he got crazy once and that he tried to touch the sun, and he lost a friend, but kept the memory. Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the stream, seeking grace in every step he takes, his sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand, the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake. Chorus And the Colorado Rocky Mountain High, I've seen it raining fire in the sky You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply. Rocky Mountain High, ....in Colorado.... Rocky Mountain High. Verse Three Now his life is full of wonder, but his heart still knows some fear, of the simple things he can not comprehend. Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more. More people, more scars upon the land. Chorus It's the Colorado Rocky Mountain High, I've seen it raining fire in the sky I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an Eagle fly Rocky mountain high It's the Colorado Rocky Mountain High, I've seen it raining fire in the sky. Friends around the camp fire and everybody's high.... Rocky Mountain High, Rocky Mountain High, Rocky Mountain High, Rocky Mountain High. State Tartan The
Colorado General Assembly passed a resolution adopting an
official state tartan on March 3, 1997. The tartan
is comprised of a pattern and colors that symbolize
Colorado's splendor and history. The pattern or sett
consists of primary blocks of forest green and cerulean
blue separated by broad dividing bands of black, with the
forest green checks containing two pairs of tram tracks
consisting of lavender and white and with the cerulean
blue checks containing a gold stripe with red guard lines.
The official state tartan is a Celtic and a
"district" tartan that may be worn by any
resident or friend of Colorado whether or not of Celtic
heritage. July 1st is designated as "Tartan Day"
in Colorado under House Joint Resolution 96-1014. Citation: House
Joint Resolution 97-1016.
National Tartan Day is April 6.
Click here for the history of the
National Tartan Day.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view emblems and symbols. State Tree The
Colorado Blue Spruce, Picea pungens, was adopted as the
official state tree on March 7, 1939, by a resolution of
the General Assembly. The Colorado Blue Spruce was first
discovered on Pikes Peak in 1862 by botanist
C.C. Parry. In 1879 it was named by George
Engelmann. This tree is known for its stately, majestic,
symmetrical form and its beautiful silver-blue color. In
Colorado, it grows in small, scattered groves or singly
among ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, alpine fir and Englemann spruce. In the northern parts of its range it
grows at the 6,000 to 9,000 feet elevation while in the
southern parts of its range at 8,000 to 11,000 feet. Its
color ranges from green to blue to silver, and is
sometimes called the silver spruce. Colorado school
children voted on Arbor Day in 1892 to name the blue
spruce as the state tree, however it was not until 1939
that the Colorado Blue Spruce was officially designated.
Citation: House Joint Resolution 7, 1939.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view emblems and symbols. State Mineral On
April 17, 2002, Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed a bill
passed by the General Assembly designating the
Rhodochrosite as the new state mineral. While there was
some debate as to whether the state mineral should be gold
or silver or another mined mineral historically associated
with Colorado, it was decided that the deep red to rose
pink manganeze carbonate (MnCO3) mineral, Rhodochrosite,
is associated internationally with the state more than any
other mineral. It is found in some gold and silver
ore-bearing veins. The specimen at left is the world's
largest Rhodochrosite crystal, called the Alma King, which
is on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
It was found in the Sweet Home Mine near Alma (Park
County), Colorado.Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view emblems and symbols. State Rock In 2004, Girl Scout Troop 357 of Lakewood petitioned the Legislature to have the Yule Marble designated as the Colorado State Rock. Governor Owens subsequently signed HB04-1023 into law on March 9, 2004. This white marble is comprised of almost pure calcite grains tightly joined to give it a luminous quality. A marble deposit was reported in 1882 in Gunnison County on Yule Creek although a producing quarry did not begin operations there until 1906. The outstanding quality of the Yule Marble made it the choice for use in the basement of the Colorado Capitol as well as numerous national monuments in the United States including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Return to Emblems and Symbols or scroll down to view emblems and symbols State Reptile In
2007, Jay Baichi's 4th grade class began the process to
get the Western Painted Turtle designated as the
Colorado State Reptile. His 4th grade class the next
year completed the legal steps and Governor Ritter signed HB
08-1017 on March 18, 2008. The two classes researched
Colorado reptiles and decided that the Western Painted
Turtle was most representative of Colorado reptiles. The turtle (Chrysemys Picta
Bellii) is a common sight around many Colorado ponds and
lakes.
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Information from www.colorado.gov
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