The Tar Heel State: Unveiling North Carolina's Sticky Legacy

North Carolina:

Why are we called the Tar Heel State?

North Carolina is known for many different things from tobaccoo, to nascar, and of course our very own Outer Banks, but where did we get the Tar Heel State name?

Legend has is that the North Carolina workers are to blame, workers used to sell tar, pitch and turpentine from the state's longleaf pine trees which was used mainly on and in wooden ships.

Even the British soldiers were slowed down by the states black tar supply when they stepped out in sticky North Carolina tar during the Revolutionary War.

The nickname stuck to the state, even being used for the college teams and the alumni that gather at the state college.

Photo byGene GallinonUnsplash

North Carolina being the leader of tar production bringing almost 70% of the tar production at the time, 50% turpine production, and 20% pitch and by 1840 North Carolina produced 95.5% of all naval stores terpine supply.

North Carolina has their longleaf pine trees to thank for the success it carried the state and for giving it the Tar Heel State nickname that lived on forever.