The Natural?

I saw a license plate this morning from Arkansas that had their state motto on it. It said 'The Natural State'. That's kinda funny to me. I started wondering just which states were not natural? How come that one is natural and no others are? Seems to me that they all have been naturally formed, doesn't it?

Maybe they mean natural, as in au natural? I don't think I want to visit a place where everyone is au natural. I'm sure there are lots of people I wouldn't mind being around in that state (pun unintentional) but for the most part, that's not a good idea.

Now I'm wondering about what the other states mottos are. I know Pennsylvania is called "The Keystone State". I'm from there, so I should remember that one. There's one for ya. How hard was that one to think up?

Some do make sense though. Here are a few:

Florida - Sunshine State Makes sense.
Georgia - Peach State Eat a Peach
Hawaii - Aloha State Hello or goodbye?
Kentucky - Bluegrass State Grass cool, music, not so cool
Michigan - Wolverine State, Great Lakes State Obvious
Minnesota - North Star State, Land of 10,000 Lakes Obvious again
Nebraska - Cornhusker State Corn is good
Nevada - The Silver State, Sage State, Sagebrush State Yep
Washington - The Evergreen State Green forever
West Virginia - Mountain State Beware of mountain people
Wisconsin - Badger State They won't leave you alone

Some of them don't make sense to me at all:

Alabama - Yellowhammer State Makes me think of Thor
Connecticut - Constitution State, Nutmeg State, Provisions State, Land of Steady Habits I guess they couldn't pick just one? What's up with the 'steady habits' thing?
Idaho - Gem State, Gem of the Mountains I thought they were the potato state?
Indiana - Hoosier State I still don't know what a Hoosier is
Iowa - Hawkeye State Wasn't Hawkeye from Maine?
North Carolina - Old North State, Tar Heel State When were they ever north? And wouldn't tar on your heel hurt a bit?
North Dakota - Peace Garden State, Flickertail State, Roughrider State Roughrider? Isn't that a condom?
Oklahoma - Sooner State Sooner than what? Later, I guess.
Oregon - Beaver State I want to make a beaver joke, but.....
South Dakota - Mount Rushmore State,Under God the People Rule, Coyote State I get most of this but that middle part seems to be a contradiction.
Tennessee - Volunteer State, Big Bend State, Hog & Hominy State, the Mother of Southwestern Statesmen Again with the indecision! Hog and Hominy?

Then there's the king of them all:

Missouri - Show Me State They either don't trust you very much or they are really, really friendly! I should go and find out.

Well, I was going to stop here but I didn't want to offend anyone. Here's the rest of them:

Alaska - The Last Frontier, Land of the Midnight Sun
Arizona - The Grand Canyon State, Copper State
California - Golden State
Colorado - Centennial State, Colorful Colorado
Delaware - First State, Diamond State, Blue Hen State, Small Wonder
Illinois - Prairie State
Kansas - Sunflower State
Louisiana - Pelican State
Maine - Pine Tree State
Maryland - Old Line State
Massachusetts - Bay State, Old Colony State
Mississippi - Magnolia State
Montana - Treasure State
New Hampshire - Granite State
New Jersey - Garden State
New Mexico - Land of Enchantment
New York - Empire State
Ohio - Buckeye State
Rhode Island - The Ocean State, Plantation State
South Carolina - Palmetto State
Texas Lone - Star State
Utah - The Beehive State
Vermont - Green Mountain State
Virginia - Old Dominion State, Mother State
Wyoming - Equality State

You can draw your own conclusions from the list. I wonder how often these things are up for review? I also wonder if countries around the world do this kind of thing? Curiouser and curiouser.....