This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Senate approved the designation of the Browning-designed M1911 as the official state gun. It takes its place alongside two-dozen other "official" state things recognized in law. This is the list from Utah Code 63G-1-601:
Utah's state animal is the elk.
Utah's state bird is the sea gull.
Utah's state centennial astronomical symbol is the Beehive Cluster located in the constellation of Cancer the Crab.
Utah's state centennial star is Dubhe, one of the seven bright stars composing the Big Dipper in the constellation Ursa Major.
Utah's state centennial tartan (see right), which honors the first Scots known to have been in Utah and those Utahns of Scottish heritage, shall have a pattern or repeating-half-sett of white-2, blue-6, red-6, blue-4, red-6, green-18, red-6, and white-4 to represent the tartan worn anciently by the Logan and Skene clans, with the addition of a white stripe.
Utah's state cooking pot is the dutch oven.
Utah's state emblem is the beehive.
Utah's state fish is the Bonneville cutthroat trout.
Utah's state flower is the sego lily.
Utah's state folk dance is the square dance, the folk dance that is called, cued, or prompted to the dancers and includes squares, rounds, clogging, contra, line, and heritage dances.
Utah's state fossil is the Allosaurus.
Utah's state fruit is the cherry.
Utah's state vegetable is the Spanish sweet onion.
Utah's historic state vegetable is the sugar beet.
Utah's state gem is topaz, as is prominently found in the Thomas Mountain Range in Juab County, Utah.
Utah's state grass is Indian rice grass.
Utah's state hymn is "Utah We Love Thee" by Evan Stephens.
Utah's state insect is the honeybee.
Utah's state mineral is copper.
Utah's state motto is "Industry."
Utah's state railroad museum is Ogden Union Station.
Utah's state rock is coal.
Utah's state song is "Utah This is the Place" by Sam and Gary Francis.
Utah's state tree is the blue spruce.
So there you have it. Anything you see missing from the list? There's still time to get your suggestions in before the end of the session.
— Robert GehrkeTwitter: @RobertGehrke