President Taft proclaimed New Mexico the 47th state of the Union on January 5, 1912. When our final territorial governor got the big news, his 16-year-old daughter proudly raised a brand-new 47-star flag over the State Capitol in Santa Fe—and church bells rang out in celebration.

We were one of the last states to join the contiguous United States—even though we were home to the country’s first European settlements and its oldest known civilizations. The quest for statehood lasted 62 years, and in that pivotal time New Mexico learned to govern itself—and set out to prove itself to the world.

First, we had to Americanize, and to give back to the nation that was finally welcoming us in. We heeded the call, and by 1912 this was a bustling, well-developed place with law and order, major mining, timber, and sheep industries, and public schools and universities…with more improvements on the way. Good roads were linking farm communities to cities, and irrigation projects were laying the groundwork for grand agricultural efforts. Thanks to improved communication and vigorous efforts to sell New Mexico’s resources, people started coming to visit. Some even built new lives here.

Our state needed new symbols to define us—like our iconic flag, with its sacred Zia sun symbol. You’ll see designs for our very first flags, along with a one-of-a-kind state seal made from everyday hardware and the piano used to compose O, Fair New Mexico, our first state song.

So, let’s join Felipe Maximiliano Chacón, the New Mexican Bard, and shout: “Long live the state of New Mexico!”