Why the Forget-me-not?

The Forget-me-not is Alaska’s State Flower. Why?

The Forget-me-not was declared the official flower by an Act of the Territorial Legislature on April 28, 1917. This law can be cited as ch. 10 Laws of Alaska, 1917.

This law also explains why the symbol was chosen:

“Whereas, throughout her more than one-half million square miles of territory, stretching from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean and from Canada’s border to Bering Sea, Alaska has a wild flower which grows on every hill and in every valley and;

Whereas, this flower is emblematic of the quality of constancy, the dominant trait of the intreprid pioneers, who in spite of almost insurmountable obstacles and insufferable hardships, have opened for development a nation’s treasure house, and;

Whereas, the Grand Igloo of the Pioneers of Alaska have endorsed this floral gem as the Territorial flower of Alaska,

“So in thinking for an emblem
For this Empire of the North
We will choose this azure flower
That the golden days bring forth,
For we want men to remember
That Alaska came to stay
Though she slept unknown for ages
And awakened in a day.
So although they say we’re living
In the land that God forgot,
We’ll recall Alaska to them
With our blue Forget-me-not.
-(Darling.)

Therefore,

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Territory of Alaska:

Section 1. That the wild native Forget-me-not is the hereby made, designated and declared to be the Territorial flower and floral emblem of the Territory of Alaska.”

Both this post and my last one about the Willow Ptarmigan were prompted by a state symbols question. While the question “What is the state [your item here]” is a question often tragically asked by regular post misdirected to various state departments and hence not answered for months when the answer was waiting for the child in a nearby encyclopedia, a question of “Why is the [your item here] the state [your item here]?” isn’t one easily answered outside of the state with the symbol. It actually makes sense to have a student write a state library or Secretary of State/Lt. Governor’s office to write for why, which usually isn’t in an encyclopedia. Also, such answers often aren’t on the ‘net either if the answer is found in old laws that predate web postings.

I posted the answers here in hopes that someone else looking for the whys and wherefores of our flower and bird might be able to find an answer on the internet — thanks to a government documents librarian. Librarians add value.