WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - State Facts: Alabama

Episode Date: February 23, 2024

Nate is joined by Marc Ayers to talk all about Alabama. 

Welcome to State Facts, the show where I, state facts about the U.S. States. Today I'm joined by Hillsdale's resident Alabamaian, Mark Ayers. How you doing today, Mark? I'm doing great, Nate. Thanks for asking. Pleasured me on. Where are you from Alabama, Mark? I'm from Birmingham, Alabama, which Google will tell you is the fourth largest city, but anyone from Alabama knows that it is the biggest city, so Huntsville can go, you know.

We're friendly here on the show, so... That's right. Yeah. That's right. We love Huntsville, too. What's the capital of Alabama? Capital of Alabama is Montgomery, Alabama. When was Alabama admitted to the Union?

December 14th, 1819. Today we became a state. Nice. There we go. I took Alabama history in high school. You had a whole course on it? We did have a whole course on it. AP?

No, unfortunately. I was homeschooled, remember. Oh. That's right. Alabama was the blank state admitted to the union. Alabama was the, I want to say, um, 21st. 22nd. 22nd.

Oh, come on. I was won away. Yeah, pretty close, though. There we go. What's the population of Alabama as of 2021? As of 2021, I want to say it's about 9 million people. Something like that. No.

Five. Five, really. Yeah, interesting. What about the nickname of the state? The nickname of the state is a Yellowhammer state. Yeah. Why? Like just... Because the state bird is the Yellowhammer bird, and that comes from actually the Civil War, where... I forget the exact reason why, but the Alabama regiments kind of got attached to...

I think they got attached to the name Yellowhammer, just because of the bird. And, yeah, it's Yellowhammer State. Look at that. How about the state flower? State flower is the camellia, actually. It's a pink flower. sort of looks like like carnation maybe? I don't really know.

It's like a big rose. I'm not a flower guy. I don't know. I just saw a picture of it once. I don't really know how to describe it. I've never seen one in the wild. I don't know if they actually exist. I'm sure they do.

It'd be a bit odd to have a mythical state flower. They're more like mythical animals than flowers. That's right. What's the state fish? I do not know, but I'm going to guess that it is the large-mouth bass. You're half correct. It's a smallmouth bass?

No. So it is the largemouth bass. You guys actually have two. Really? One for freshwater and one for salt water. Oh, interesting. So that's the freshwater one. And the saltwater one...

Is the saltwater one the red snapper? No, it's the fighting tarpan. I've never heard of that in my life. Yeah. I mean, you don't have too much of a coastline. We have... We have enough of a coastline. It's actually pretty important.

Aside from New Orleans, I believe it's the... I believe Mobile is the second largest port in the Gulf of Mexico. It's probably Tampa. I'm probably completely wrong. But it is a major port. How about the state beverage? Ooh, state beverage. Huh.

I don't actually know. The Connaker Ridge Whiskey. Oh, the Kineka Ridge Whiskey. Oh, it's Kineka. It is Kneka. Because the best sausage in the southeast is Kineka sausage. Incredible. Made in Kineka County, Alabama.

and nobody knows out of it outside of Alabama because unfortunately not everyone else has Kineka sausage. Yeah, we more than Nathan's up here. Yes, it's inferior. How about the state tree? State tree. Is it the oak tree? No.

Southern Longleaf Pine. Oh, that makes sense. How about the state song? State song is titled Alabama. Man, you like studied for this. I told you I took a course. I told you I took a course. And you're crushing it.

My grandmother was actually a teacher in Alabama for a long time. And she taught my mother all this stuff. And then they both taught us this stuff. Passing it down, dinner. That's right. How about the state dessert? Ooh, state dessert. Is it by any chance banana pudding?

No, it's the Lane cake. What? Yeah, I don't know. I just saw you guys had one of these and I'm like, I got to put that on there. That's so cool. That is pretty cool, though. I'll have to make it sometime. Yeah.

and then the state fruit. State fruit. Peanuts aren't fruit, are they? Peanuts are not fruit. Peanuts are nuts. That's right. Okay. In that case, I want to go Apple.

It's actually the Blackberry. So different cellular device. Okay. Can't believe if I just made that joke. Anyway, thanks for coming on the show today, Mark. Thank you, Gallagher. It's been a pleasure.