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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Arkansas is known as “the Natural State” but that hasn’t always been the case.

In the state’s earlier days, Arkansas had unofficial nicknames but did not get an official one until the 20th century.

Here were some of the early unofficial nicknames:

• The “Bear State”: The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said pre-settlement estimates showed there were more than 50,000 bears in the state. Most of the bears were Louisiana black bears, one of 16 species native to the United States. By the 1930s, the bears in the state were almost hunted out completely.
• The “Toothpick State”: Early Arkansans kept large sheath or belt knives on their person. Some were double-edged knives called “dirks”. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas said in 1837 one state representative dispatched of another with a knife “[cementing]the new state’s renown as a violent place.
• “Rackensack”: No one knows exactly where this nickname came from but CALS said by the end of the 1840s, it was used as an exaggerated definition for the rural and hilly western parts of Arkansas.

The “Wonder State”

In 1923, Arkansas officially got a nickname when the legislative assembly recognized the Arkansas Advancement Association’s activities. The AAA was a group of businessmen looking to attract economic investment to the state and improve its image.

Former governor Charles H. Brough was an advocate for AAA and traveled around the south earlier in the decade praising the natural resources the state had to offer.

A resolution from January 1923 said, “It is an admitted fact that the State of Arkansas excels all others in natural resources, its store of mineral wealth being practically inexhaustible, its vast forests supplying pine and hardwoods in quantities sufficient to place the state in the forefront, and its agricultural and horticultural prowess recognized not only in the United States; but in foreign countries.”

The resolution claimed the “Bear State” nickname was a misnomer and led to a false impression while the “Wonder State” is accurate and deserves special recognition.

“Though official, the nickname did little to change popular perceptions of Arkansas as an underdeveloped, even backward, state,” the Encyclopedia of Arkansas said.

“Land of Opportunity”

Since the nickname did little to improve the state’s image, a second group of businessmen called the “Committee of 100” looked to come up with a new nickname.

Looking to improve economic development in Arkansas, the group decided on the “Land of Opportunity”.

Although not official at the time, the nickname was added to license plates in the 1940s and was printed on various promotional materials, according to CALS.

In 1953, the Arkansas General Assembly passed a resolution by dropping the “Wonder State” and replacing it with the “Land of Opportunity.”

The “Natural State”

In the back half of the 20th century, tourism in the state started to grow. In the 1980s, the Arkansas parks system adopted the “Natural State” nickname to help highlight the state’s natural landscape, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas said.

State Representative Dennis Young introduced a legislation in 1995 wanting to change the nickname to the “Natural State” as it proved to be more popular than the previous one.

Young cited the “unsurpassed scenery, clear lakes, free-flowing streams, magnificent rivers, meandering bayous, delta bottomlands, forested mountains and abundant fish and wildlife” Arkansas has to offer.

His bill became Act 1352 later that year and the nickname has stuck ever since.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Whatever the result ends up being in November, it’s almost a virtual lock Arkansas’ offense will be improved. Let’s face it, Bobby Petrino’s probably never had an offense that dysfuntional in his coaching life.

Now the new Hogs’ offensive coordinator comes in with high expectations from a Razorbacks’ fan base that may be a little unrealistic. At least based on available evidence at this point.

No one will have a feel for how much to expect until September. How truly successful the offense can be won’t be known until late October or early November.

It’s easy for an offense to look good against air. If they don’t do that, it’s a four-alarm situation, but that isn’t going to happen at the level the Razorbacks play.

Sam Pittman says every summer they are optimistic, but he’s cautious in that time like every coach. He knows it’s different in an SEC game.

Hogs’ fans are counting on having an offense ready to compete for a title. At this point, they would probably settle to compete for anything other than a bowl game closer to New Year’s than Christmas.

Hold up a minute. There’s not one shred of evidence beyond fan hope at this point.

While it is true there are some good offensive players, it requires 22 to really be good. That’s been the problem for Pittman and most other coaches in front of him — depth.

For whatever reason (and everybody has an idea why), Arkansas hasn’t been able to get those kinds of athletes in big numbers. Pittman’s best role is developing players, but in this day and age coaches know they could be developing them to contribute toward some other staff competing for a title.

Petrino has a quarterback in Taylen Green that he wanted before he chose Boise State instead of Missouri State. Maybe the biggest problem is they’ll only have him for one year.

Add to that a group of wide receivers desperately needing a proven go-to No. 1 and a whole host of new running backs topped off with a juggling of the offensive line, and there are more questions than answers now. That’s what all the hope is based on with Petrino.

Petrino’s offense needs playmakers to make it work. A lot has been made about this unit being more explosive now, but there’s no game evidence of being able to accomplish that. Not even Petrino can pull of that magic trick.

Pittman knows all this, which is why he hired him. He said at the SEC Football Kickoff on Thursday he’s like a “security blanket” for him.

“He’s passionate,” Pittman said. “He likes to win, likes to win and score points. So it’s been great. I had Barry before that I could bump some head coaching questions off. As I get older the questions aren’t as many. Or as I get more years of being a head coach.”

That doesn’t mean they agree on everything. One thing Pittman probably does is make it very clear he’s the one with the ultimate veto power over any decision. In the end, he’s in charge or else he wouldn’t be here.

“I’ll ask them a question and I want their opinion and they know it,” Pittman said. “We’ll agree on it or won’t, but we’re both grown men. If we do, we do. If we don’t, we don’t. We move on down the road. (Petrino) spends more time in my office than anybody, and I apologize to him. I don’t know if he likes it or not. I do make him talk to me a lot.”

Whatever he does, though, probably is signed off on by Pittman. At this point he’s helping turn the offensive line into something respectable. That was clear in spring practice where the players and even the coaches paid attention when he got to their group in individual and group drills.

Everybody could be setting themselves up for disappointment because the expectations are at times getting a little bit over-reaching. Fans might want to have a little patience.

HOGS FEED:

• Petrino’s Razorbacks’ offense ‘explosive,’ says Armstrong

• Pittman’s all-in best on Mateos to salvage hot seat

• Getting back to work ethic why Pittman so confident now

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