Seal of Arizona
Encyclopedia
The Great Seal of the State of Arizona is ringed by the words “Great Seal of the State of Arizona” on the top, and 1912 the year of Arizona’s statehood. In the background is a range of mountains with the sun rising behind the peaks. At the right side of the mountains is a water storage reservoir and a dam, with irrigated fields and orchards. There are cattle grazing on the right, and a quartz
mill and a miner (George Warren) with a pick and shovel on the left.
The state seal is representative of the foundational elements of the Arizona economy: cattle, cotton, copper, citrus, and climate, which are all visible on the seal. The Five Cs, as they are commonly known, appear as follows: Cattle are represented by the cow at approximately 5 o'clock. Citrus is represented by the irrigated orchard slightly left of the middle. Cotton is represented by the irrigated fields slightly right of the mid-line. Copper is represented by the miner on the left. Climate, as expressed and exported in the flora and fauna, is represented by the sun and rainclouds.
, a businessman and journalist, as the territory's Secretary. designed a seal in 1863, which featured a bearded miner standing in front of a wheelbarrow, holding a pick, and a short-handled spade. Two bare mountains appear in the background. At the bottom was the Latin motto “Ditat Deus,” God enriches.
In response to criticism, McCormick introduced a revised, more elaborate version which included new shadowing and a small stream at the miner’s feet. The wheelbarrow and spade were replaced with a more befitting long-handled shovel, and the mountains featured a pointed peak- probably Thumb Butte, west of the capital in Prescott. The motto, “Ditat Deus”, remained in its former place. The McCormick seal was nicknamed the "baking powder seal" because it resembled the label on cans of Pioneer Baking Powder.
Members of the First Territorial Legislative Assembly
approved an act, in the fall of 1864, creating a new seal and authorizing the secretary “to entrust said seal to proper parties for engraving.” The seal was to be 2 inches in diameter and feature “a view of San Francisco mountain [sic] in the distance, with a deer, pine trees, and columnar cactus in the foreground; the motto to be ‘Ditat Deus.’”
Despite the plans for a new seal, Arizona continued use the old one. McCormick, preferring his own design, took advantage of a provision of the act that allowed him to use the former seal in his official duties “until the seal authorized in this act is prepared.”
The new seal was not prepared until 1879, 15 years later. The old seal was finally retired in 1879, however it is still in use by Gila County.
The first known use of the legislatively approved territorial seal was by Secretary John J. Gosper
to certify the Acts of the Tenth Territorial Legislative Assembly
on March 3, 1879.
Secretaries of the territory made several variations of the legislative seal during the 30 years it was in use. In 1895 Secretary Charles Bruce added shading lines to the mountains, deer, and cactus.
A seal used by Secretary Charles Akers in 1899 brought the scene back to daylight.
In 1905 when Secretary W.F. Nichols adopted a drawing from Phoenix artist Walter Rollins. In it the deer faced left, the mountains bore more resemblance to the San Francisco peaks, the trees and cactus were more realistic, and grass grew in the foreground. This seal appeared on the original copy of the Arizona Constitution adopted in 1910.
Delegate M.G. Cunniff of Yavapai County to the Constitutional Convention submitted a proposed design to the seal by Phoenix newspaper artist E.E. Motter. A special committee of three delegates formed to consider the Motter seal, and recommended adoption of the seal in Article 22, § 20 of the Constitution, which describes the present seal.
E.E. Ellinwood of Cochise County, the committee’s chairman, explained that the committee’s aim was to “get away from cactus, Gila monsters, and rattlesnakes” and feature other industries of the state.
After lengthy debate that at times wandered into other political issues, on December 9, delegates approved the new seal by a vote of 28 to 11, with 13 members absent.
It was Ellinwood who was responsible for the image of Bisbee prospector George Warren on the seal.
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
mill and a miner (George Warren) with a pick and shovel on the left.
The state seal is representative of the foundational elements of the Arizona economy: cattle, cotton, copper, citrus, and climate, which are all visible on the seal. The Five Cs, as they are commonly known, appear as follows: Cattle are represented by the cow at approximately 5 o'clock. Citrus is represented by the irrigated orchard slightly left of the middle. Cotton is represented by the irrigated fields slightly right of the mid-line. Copper is represented by the miner on the left. Climate, as expressed and exported in the flora and fauna, is represented by the sun and rainclouds.
History
President Lincoln approved a bill in 1863 creating the Territory of Arizona, and appointed Richard McCormickRichard Cunningham McCormick
Richard Cunningham McCormick, Jr. was an American politician, businessman, and journalist. He served as the second Governor of Arizona Territory, three time Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona Territory, and as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York...
, a businessman and journalist, as the territory's Secretary. designed a seal in 1863, which featured a bearded miner standing in front of a wheelbarrow, holding a pick, and a short-handled spade. Two bare mountains appear in the background. At the bottom was the Latin motto “Ditat Deus,” God enriches.
In response to criticism, McCormick introduced a revised, more elaborate version which included new shadowing and a small stream at the miner’s feet. The wheelbarrow and spade were replaced with a more befitting long-handled shovel, and the mountains featured a pointed peak- probably Thumb Butte, west of the capital in Prescott. The motto, “Ditat Deus”, remained in its former place. The McCormick seal was nicknamed the "baking powder seal" because it resembled the label on cans of Pioneer Baking Powder.
Members of the First Territorial Legislative Assembly
1st Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 1st Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which began on September 26, 1864, in Prescott, Arizona, and ran for forty-three days...
approved an act, in the fall of 1864, creating a new seal and authorizing the secretary “to entrust said seal to proper parties for engraving.” The seal was to be 2 inches in diameter and feature “a view of San Francisco mountain [sic] in the distance, with a deer, pine trees, and columnar cactus in the foreground; the motto to be ‘Ditat Deus.’”
Despite the plans for a new seal, Arizona continued use the old one. McCormick, preferring his own design, took advantage of a provision of the act that allowed him to use the former seal in his official duties “until the seal authorized in this act is prepared.”
The new seal was not prepared until 1879, 15 years later. The old seal was finally retired in 1879, however it is still in use by Gila County.
The first known use of the legislatively approved territorial seal was by Secretary John J. Gosper
John J. Gosper
John Jay Gosper was an American politician and businessman who served as Secretary of State of Nebraska and Secretary of Arizona Territory. Much of his service in Arizona was spent as Acting Governor due to Governor Frémont's virtual abandonment of his post.During the American Civil War, Gosper...
to certify the Acts of the Tenth Territorial Legislative Assembly
10th Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 10th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened on January 6, 1879, in Prescott, Arizona Territory....
on March 3, 1879.
Secretaries of the territory made several variations of the legislative seal during the 30 years it was in use. In 1895 Secretary Charles Bruce added shading lines to the mountains, deer, and cactus.
A seal used by Secretary Charles Akers in 1899 brought the scene back to daylight.
In 1905 when Secretary W.F. Nichols adopted a drawing from Phoenix artist Walter Rollins. In it the deer faced left, the mountains bore more resemblance to the San Francisco peaks, the trees and cactus were more realistic, and grass grew in the foreground. This seal appeared on the original copy of the Arizona Constitution adopted in 1910.
Delegate M.G. Cunniff of Yavapai County to the Constitutional Convention submitted a proposed design to the seal by Phoenix newspaper artist E.E. Motter. A special committee of three delegates formed to consider the Motter seal, and recommended adoption of the seal in Article 22, § 20 of the Constitution, which describes the present seal.
E.E. Ellinwood of Cochise County, the committee’s chairman, explained that the committee’s aim was to “get away from cactus, Gila monsters, and rattlesnakes” and feature other industries of the state.
After lengthy debate that at times wandered into other political issues, on December 9, delegates approved the new seal by a vote of 28 to 11, with 13 members absent.
It was Ellinwood who was responsible for the image of Bisbee prospector George Warren on the seal.