Just an addition to the "State symbol" discussion: The M1911 is Utah's official State Firearm. John Moses Browning was born in Ogden, Utah and was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS, aka Mormon). He not only designed the M1911 pistol, but also the .50 caliber machine gun and the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) of WW2 fame. So yeah, he's a local hero.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Browning