Each American state is known for producing something that's important to the rest of the country or world. Sometimes these contributions seem obvious, like Hawaiian pineapples or Georgia peaches. Other times, the businesses or products coming out of a state might not have such obvious associations鈥攍ike the fact that the .
Scouring census data, state histories, and news reports, 爆料TV set out to聽find famous industries, inventions, foods, and products聽from each of the 50 states聽to prove that no one state is a one-trick pony. Read on to learn the unexpected聽gifts each state has to offer.
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Albertville, Ala. has the distinction of聽being the 鈥�.鈥� A nickel-plated fire hydrant standing outside the聽Mueller Company plant there marks the聽millionth hydrant聽produced by the factory since 1975. In 2016 the company 聽and is well on its way to its next milestone, as the plant produces around 800 hydrants daily.
Given its 6,640 miles of coastline, Alaska is king of the fishing industry and especially famous for its salmon. But seafood isn't the only culinary delight from America鈥檚 Last Frontier. While for a California ranch purchased by the dressing's inventor, Steve Henson, the recipe was perfected聽in Alaska where he and his wife lived five years prior. Henson worked in Alaska聽as a plumbing contractor and cook. To keep his crew well-fed (and聽ensure ), he made and refined an experimental dressing with the buttermilk, mayonnaise, herbs, and spices he had on hand.
Arizona may be renowned for its five Cs鈥攃opper, cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate鈥攂ut animal-lovers will be thrilled to know聽PetSmart started in Phoenix.聽This one-stop-shop for grooming, animal boarding, and doggie daycare was founded in 1986 as . Twenty years later, it聽boasted $7 billion in annual revenue in 2016. PetSmart Charities, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding homes for animals in need, was formed in 1994.
While most people associate Arkansas with Walmart,听understandable since it's the聽world鈥檚 largest company (by revenue) with $485 billion in sales, the state is also home to Tyson Foods. This food giant includes grocery staples like Ball Park, Jimmy Dean, and Hillshire Farm. Tyson is the largest meat processor in the United States聽and recently expanded its investments to include .
California is home to a variety of industries鈥攅ntertainment, technology, and agriculture鈥攗ltimately accounting for 听肠辞尘辫补苍颈别蝉. Yet California is also the largest milk producer in the country, with . In fact, California聽beats聽famed dairy competitor Wisconsin by 35%.
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Though known for economic strongholds聽in mining and agriculture, not everyone knows that聽the first Chipotle鈥攏ow an international chain鈥�聽in 1993. Founder Steve Ells loved San Francisco's 鈥渕ission-style鈥� burritos聽and used them to start a revolution in fast-casual dining. Chipotle would continue to expand throughout Colorado聽before eventually opening its menu to the world.
Connecticut is聽home to massive financial-sector headquarters聽like Aetna, The Hartford, and Cigna; but the聽Nutmeg State also makes major contributions to the U.S. military with its聽production of world-class submarines. Beginning with the USS Holland in 1899, General Dynamics Electric Boat has been a leading manufacturer of undersea vehicles聽including the Virginia, Seawolf, and Los Angeles-class submarines. Electric Boat recently 聽to design the Columbia-class submarine, the newest generation of ballistic-missile submarines for the U.S. Navy.
Florida鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center was the聽moon mission, and聽聽was responsible for fixing聽any problem along the way. But without Delaware, Neil Armstrong would never have been able to take his 鈥渙ne small step for man, one聽giant leap for mankind.鈥� The Frederica-based ILC Dover is (or Planetary EVA suit) successfully used on another planetary body: the moon. It鈥檚 , outfitting trips to the International Space Station.
Florida is famous for its abundant citrus farms, Disney World, and beach tourism鈥攁nd Burger King, founded in 1954 in Jacksonville.聽Burger King started out offering聽 and has since expanded to聽nearly 16,000 locations around the world.
Georgia is聽home to corporations like Coca-Cola and Delta, and also substantially contributes to the nation's agricultural output with peanuts, pecans, and peaches. One of the state's lesser-known origin stories is The Home Depot, opened聽in Atlanta in 1979. The Home Depot was聽a new retail experience that paired massive hardware inventory with sales associates that were fluent in do-it-yourself projects. The Home Depot now has 2,200 stores in three countries聽and brings in nearly $90 billion in annual revenue.
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Hawaii鈥檚 tropical climate enables farmers to grow a variety of produce like pineapples, papayas, sugarcane, and exotic flowers. But one of Hawaii鈥檚 most pound-for-pound valuable exports isn't a fruit鈥攊t's聽the honeybee. A typical 170-milligram queen honeybee sells聽for anywhere from $17 to $25.
Idaho might be best known for its potatoes, but it earned its nickname as the Gem State for a reason. In 2017, it produced the . The state gem, the star garnet, can only be found in India and , where visitors can pay a small fee to collect some of these rare beauties.
Many businesses鈥攍ike Boeing, Walgreens,听and Caterpillar鈥攖hrive in Illinois, but 75% of the state鈥檚 land area is dedicated to farming聽corn, soybeans, livestock, and wheat. Beyond the fields and the boardroom, Illinois' claim to fame extends to a device ubiquitous in modern life: the mobile phone. Motorola engineer Marty Cooper developed it,听famously to a rival engineer at AT&T.
Indianapolis residents found themselves scratching their heads in 1921 at mysterious advertisements in The Indianapolis Star 聽Taggart Baking Company put the first loves of Wonder Bread on聽shelves a few days later. The聽company聽聽four years after that, introducing the rest of the聽country to 鈥�.鈥�
It isn't corn or soybeans at聽the top of the economic food chain in Iowa, but pork. Iowa leads the country in pig farming, setting聽a record with .
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Kansas is an agrarian state, with cattle, sheep, wheat, and corn among聽its largest exports. It may be surprising, then, to learn that Kansas is also a huge producer of airplanes and related parts. Cessna, Beech, and Airbus have significant operations in the area, and聽Wichita is聽considered the 鈥淎ir Capital of the World.鈥�
Bourbon isn鈥檛 the only fun thing聽from Kentucky. Some of the everyday items made there聽include Reynolds Wrap, Fruit of the Loom, Hot Pockets, Pop Tarts, L'Oreal, Mentos, and Dixie cups. In the 1970s, 90% of the country鈥檚 disco balls were in Louisville. Output, as one might imagine, has dropped off significantly in the years since.聽
There are so many ,听not limited to beignets, pralines,听and Creole food.聽One other product from Louisiana is a staple in nearly聽every kitchen: Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce. This fiery blend is produced by McIlhenny Company of Avery Island, Louisiana, and a Bloody Mary just isn鈥檛 the same without it.
Beyond Maine's聽natural abundance of food鈥攂lueberries, apples, maple syrup, potatoes, and lobster among them鈥攖he Pine Tree State is also home to clothing and outdoor recreation company L.L. Bean. Founded in 1912, L.L. Bean began with a . Today, the company has $1.6 billion in annual revenue.
Blue crab, clams, and other delights from the sea have given Maryland a seafood industry聽.聽There is a darker export with origins in the Old Line State, however. Amid the popularity of spiritualism聽came the , by the Baltimore-based Kennard Novelty Company. Each board is printed with聽a series of letters and numbers, and comes聽with聽a marker that's moved around by the participants鈥攐r perhaps the influence of an otherworldly force.
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A diverse roster of industries flourishes in Massachusetts, from venture capitalism to academia. But the state treasure is a beloved candy that originated in 1847: the Necco Wafer. The candy's manufacturer , but nostalgic wafer-lovers have much to celebrate since Necco Wafers were rescued by聽Spangler Candy Co.
Cars are the chief export in Michigan, but baby food is an immensely popular product as well.聽Gerber Products Company, headquartered in , has been manufacturing baby food since 1927. The company聽began with six varieties and now holds 61% of the baby food market in the U.S.
Minnesota is home to Target, General Mills, Buffalo Wild Wings, My Pillow, and Pillsbury.聽The state's biggest export, however, is hypodermic needles and other medical equipment that save lives every day. These important items are to the state's economy.
Edward C. Barq Sr. founded his eponymous root beer in Biloxi, Miss., in 1898. The distinctly flavored soda聽rose to prominence ,听as consumers and manufacturers searched for new, non-alcoholic beverage聽options.
Beneath St. Louis' Gateway Arch lies a bustling city with : a better breast pump, African-American hair products, and kindergarten in the U.S. all got their start in the city. TUMS is another Missouri original, ito treat his wife's indigestion. Now "America's #1 antacid," TUMS primary production facility
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From the聽Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains, Montana is known for its diverse terrains and rich mineral reserves. Coal mining is still an economic staple in Big Sky Country, as are cattle, wheat, and timber production. But one of the state鈥檚 greatest contributions was a politician: Montana was the first state to elect a woman to Congress. Jeannette Rankin earned a spot on the House of Representatives in 1916 and cast聽her first vote
It's no surprise the Cornhusker State's biggest export is corn. But there's another big product here: Kool-Aid,听 by Edwin Perkins and Kitty Hastings. Today the brand has more than 40 flavors and more than聽
The Silver State may count聽gold and silver among its top exports, but it's also the source of hundreds of thousands of pairs of shoes聽shipped from Zappos' worldwide headquarters each year. Founded in 1999 in Henderson, Nev., Zappos was eventually acquired by Amazon for more than $1 billion in stock and is now among the nation鈥檚 top shoe retailers.
The two-wheeled phenomenon that is the Segway was invented in Bedford, N.H., and . After investments from聽Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos, the former predicting cities would be redesigned around the gadget, the glorified聽scooter never quite caught on.
Like many states, petroleum production and agriculture聽are聽big in New Jersey. Few know that salt water taffy was first manufactured and sold in the Garden State. 聽the timeless treat was born when a storm flooded a coastal Jersey candy store聽and soaked the taffy with ocean water.
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Smokey The Bear, who educates the American public on preventing forest fires,听was following the Capitan Gap Fire. This聽massive wildfire destroyed thousands of acres in Lincoln National Forest. Smokey was聽based on聽a real bear who was saved during the fire,听and lived out his days聽at Washington D.C.鈥檚 National Zoo.
The Empire State has been home to countless innovations over the years, but one you may not know about is the teddy bear. After a political cartoonist depicted Theodore Roosevelt while on a hunting trip, a Brooklyn candy shop owner licensed the image and created the first stuffed bear, branded 鈥淭eddy Bear.鈥� The toy quickly caught on around the country and became a childhood staple.
North Carolina is home to excellent golf courses, but did you know聽 can be traced back to the state? In 1916, James Wells Barber built the first known miniature golf course: Thistle Dhu in Pinehurst, N.C.
If you've ever wondered where Cream of Wheat comes from, it's聽the Roughrider State. First , Cream of Wheat paved the way for the waves of hot and cold breakfast cereals that dominated聽American breakfasts聽throughout the 20th century.
The Man of Steel was in Cleveland, Ohio, in the late 1930s. It's easy to forget the internationally renowned franchise all started with聽a small-time comic book about聽Clark Kent.
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Crafters, artists, and students alike can thank聽founder and Oklahoma native David Green for Hobby Lobby. Today the chain is the聽largest and most successful hobby shop in the country with more than 300 U.S. locations鈥攂ut it started in the '70s as a .
This 1970s phenomenon was in Portland. Though few kids born today are likely to take up this quirky sport, it was a mainstay through the '80s and even gave way to tournaments across the country.
The Quaker State is home to cheesesteaks, more than 50 Fortune 500 companies, and Hershey Park. Its most famous export, however, is the computer. The聽University of Pennsylvania is the birthplace of one of the world鈥檚 first electronic computers, the ENIAC,听constructed on the campus in 1946.
Rhode Island is known for its top-notch sailing and fishing, but it's a relatively unknown fact that聽the state聽is home to the聽company that brought us Play-Doh, Mr. Potato Head, and G.I. Joe.聽Founded in 1923, Hasbro is the third-largest toy company in the world and聽headquartered in Pawtucket, R.I.
Home to a booming tourism聽industry, The Palmetto State is also a major manufacturing hub for companies like Boeing, which is the reason that the largest export from the state is civilian aircraft, engines, and parts. Few know聽that South Carolina was the birthplace of the ,听built in 1698 in Charles Town, S.C.
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South Dakota is one of the least densely populated states in the country, with a scant聽听补苍诲听agriculture representing more than 20% of economic activity there. South Dakota is also home to the first-ever Super 8 Motel, which opened in聽聽with a nightly rate of just聽$8.88.
The Volunteer State is known for its strong brown liquor and lively music scene, having been home to famous singers Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash. A little less exciting, but equally as important, is its shipping industry. FedEx聽is and is one of the largest transportation companies in the world with nearly聽.
Los Angeles and New York City might be聽where humans head to get a 鈥渂ig break,鈥� but the big purple dinosaur got his start in Lone Star State. Dreamed up by teacher Sheryl Leach to entertain her young son, she filmed and distributed it with two partners in the area before it was . Even after it hit the big time, ". The show helped聽launch聽the careers of stars like Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Demi Lovato.
Utah is well-known for its large Mormon population, but not so well-known for聽it's booming gold business. Gold is the state's biggest export and in 2016 represented more than .
Between ice cream and cheddar cheese, it's聽not surprising that聽dairy is the largest farming industry in Vermont. But the state is also famed for its snowboarding: Outdoor sports enthusiast Jake Burton Carpenter invented the first snowboard (which he called the聽Snurfer) in his barn in聽聽in 1977. To this day, Manchester is home to Burton Snowboards, the world's first snowboard manufacturing company.
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While Virginia聽, another American institution was growing up alongside it: the college fraternity. America鈥檚 first fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa (otherwise known as PBK), held its first meeting on the campus of the College of William and Mary . The club dropped its requirement for secrecy in 1831 and , other groups began copying the model. Today, PBK doesn鈥檛 look like the party-hard frats depicted on TV and in the news; it鈥檚 a co-ed honor society and .
Washington is a major agricultural exporter, particularity when it comes to聽.聽But the state is聽also home to some of the most famous companies in the world, including Boeing, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Amazon. One lesser-known company is the giant wholesaler Costco, founded聽in 1976 and聽. The company聽is the second-largest retailer in the world with more than 750 warehouses worldwide.
The Mountain State has several claims to fame, including the pepperoni roll. This simple savory pastry was first served in , opened by Guiseppe Argiro, an Italian immigrant. West Virginians enjoy these spicy treats to this day.聽
罢丑颈谤迟测-蝉颈虫听 are manufacturing-related, including paper mills, metal fabrication, and machining shops.聽It may come as no surprise that Milwaukee is home to Harley Davidson Motorcycles, founded in 1903.聽Today, the company operates multiple factories in Wisconsin and .
JCPenney began , called "The Golden Rule" due to its policy to treat others the way you want to be treated. The department store eventually expanded into the company we all know today, with more than 860 locations across the country and .
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