Fifty States Quotes

“The Aleutian Islands stretch 1,200 miles from the Alaska Peninsula toward Russia; crossing the international date line, they extend farther west than the Hawaiian Islands in the mid-Pacific.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered

“Archaeologists estimate that Washington was among the first populated zones in North America—human remains in the state date back 13,000 years.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered

“In 1901 the popularity of Oldsmobile Runabout—the first mass-produced motor vehicle in history—paved the way for other Michigan automobile companies.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered

“Visitors to the lower stretches of the Pascagoula River may notice something strange: an eerie, low humming sound, beckoning from the dark waters. The unusual sound, sometimes described as similar to that of a swarm of bees, is said locally to be the last haunting refrain of the vanished Pascagoula Indians, who marched into the river to drown, singing as they went, rather than fight or be enslaved by the invading Biloxi Indians. In tribute to the tragic legend and the strange echoes of this faded past, locals often refer to the buzzing waters as the Singing River.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered

“Peculiarities in Delaware’s boundaries also beset the southern boundary, the so-called Transpeninsular Line. Early inaccuracies in maps and competing bids for land among European families left the issue confused until 1751, when an east-west line was drawn across the Delmarva Peninsula. The line later served as the southern end-point of the only north-south portion of the Mason-Dixon line (the Tangent). The political demarcation has resulted in some curiosities on the border, including the town of Delmar. Split between Delaware and Maryland, the town operates a single government and services, but requires two postal codes and tax systems. It has adopted the motto, “The Little Town Too Big for One State.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered

“Uniquely, in addition to a state flower, tree, and other usual state symbols, Delaware claims a state star. Located in the Ursa Major constellation, the “Delaware Diamond” is registered on the International Star Registry.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered

“For many tourists, a trip to Pennsylvania includes a visit to the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch country. That’s an area in the southeastern part of the state where some Mennonite and Amish groups (among others) make their homes. One theory is that the term “Dutch” came about because many of the people are of German descent, and the word Deutsch was mispronounced as Dutch.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered

“Adirondack Park, a 6-million-acre wilderness area and parkland in the Adirondack Mountains, is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic national parks combined.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered

“Granite from New Hampshire has been used in construction at Arlington National Cemetery, the Library of Congress, New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, and Civil War monuments throughout the country.”
― Lori Baird, Fifty States: Every Question Answered