# Puzzle - ordering of US States **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573 "2002-08-12T18:21:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/101 "2002-08-23T20:31:20Z")
This question has been driving me bonkers for days now. I am going in a completely different direction with it. The comment “in a publication with many colorful pages” makes me think it’s in a book for children. Maybe a rhyme or song to memorize the states? I searched for quite awhile last night on that trail but with no luck. I’m convinced that it’s something quite simple, like someone else mentioned, something that a kindergartener would be able to answer in 5 seconds while we are all still sitting here scratching our heads. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/102 "2002-08-23T22:03:22Z")
From Google Answers today - > [@](#): > > I just got a _huge_ hint from the puzzle creator: he said that the > solution isn’t a ranking per se, rather it is “the order in which > something happened”. So that means that all of these census theories > and stuff just don’t apply. ---
**Author:** ![Jibby7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@Jibby7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jibby7)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/103 "2002-08-23T22:26:28Z")
This may be way off, but what I’ve been thinking since I first saw this is orders in which states were declared victories by one of the networks in the presidential election. It would explain the eastern predominance. In addition, I remember watching the returns come in, and states like Wisconsin and Arizona were declared early, only to be changed back to undeclared much later in the evening, like Florida. Perhaps the published work was an article criticizing th networks for declaring victories in states so early? Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![JS\_Princeton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JS\_Princeton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JS_Princeton)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/104 "2002-08-24T01:33:03Z")
Another HOUR of my life wasted for this question! Okay, here’s the scoop. I doubt the list has anything at all to do with the actual election itself. That’s because Florida is on the list, Arizona is on the list, and Kentucky is NOT on the list. The only thing it might be is a) the order in which the states electoral votes are read before the joint session of Congress in December or b) the order some wacky news organization declared the outcome of the state’s election (pretty wacky if you ask me because Arizona is so high, but there are wackos out there, all right!) MY idea originated from the ORDER concept and the fact that there is geographical clustering and that it came out about the time of the election hype. I remembered back to the CAMPAIGN! The candidates often had weird schedules where they would shuttle from one battleground state to another, sometimes on cross country tours stopping briefly in the airport in St. Louis on the way over, etc. etc. So after some searching I found [this site](http://www.politicsandelections.com/usa/2000/schedule/) which has good records of Bush/Cheney and Gore/Lieberman campaign trails. (And awful recording of the Buchanan and Nader campaigns – I guess the webmaster got lazy). Alas, it was to no avail. No matter which way I tried to figure it out (including by the tours made by vice presidential candidate’s wives) I could not get the pattern out of these schedules. For those of you itching to find patterns, it may still be buried in there. ---
**Author:** ![kmel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8baadc/32.png) [@kmel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/105 "2002-08-26T15:28:46Z")
The “many colorful pitchers” clue stands out like something in an M. Night Shyamalan film. I haven’t read anything saying that this was spoken or written (someone on Google Answers asked, but I don’t think anyone answered). If it was spoken, it could have been “many colorful pitchers.” Baseball pitchers? Drink pitchers? Beer pitchers? Orchid pitchers? Tent pitchers? Also, is the publication necessarily a newspaper or magazine? Could it not be a web-only publication, a book, a poster? ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/106 "2002-08-26T16:27:58Z")
It’s not the order in which the AP reported the results: [http://energycommerce.house.gov/107/action/107-25.pdf](http://energycommerce.house.gov/107/action/107-25.pdf) Kentucky and Indiana were first. But that doesn’t absolutely rule out ABC, CNN, FOX, etc. … ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/107 "2002-08-26T16:55:17Z")
how about the order in which states declared Y2K readiness? jb ---
**Author:** ![kmel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8baadc/32.png) [@kmel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/108 "2002-08-26T17:22:00Z")
Whoops, my post should have started off “The 'many colorful **pictures** ’ clue” … I got a little ahead of myself there, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Toby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b3f665/32.png) [@Uncle\_Toby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Toby)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/109 "2002-08-26T17:50:56Z")
The order in which the states ratified some ammendment to the Constitution ? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_alien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Go\_alien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_alien)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/110 "2002-08-28T10:00:57Z")
Will you Merkins please hurry up and solve this puzzle? I’ve been lurking on this thread since it started and my curiosity was piqued. By the way, I have no useful input whatsoever to solving it but I am cheering you on.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/111 "2002-08-28T15:21:45Z")
It may have something to do with desegregation of public schools. I found this blurb 1952: A Delaware judge is the first in the country to order a segregated public school to admit black students. I’ve also seen Texas and Arkansas mentioned just a few years after 1952 as desegretating their public schools. Sadly, I’ve been unable to find a list anywhere with more concrete dates. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/112 "2002-08-28T18:11:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frank #2 \* > \*\*It may have something to do with desegregation of public schools. \*\* I thought this might be the case as well, but alas no. Maryland #20 was desegregated in 1954, Arkansas #9 in 1957. It is also not the order in which any particular amendment to the Constitution was ratified. It is also unlikely to be related to a college draft, since Washintgon,DC is part of those drafts, but not one of the 50 states. Sadly, I think the answer will be some trivial sports-related item. The creator basically says as much in the comments section of Google Answers. If that’s the case, I have no interest in researching it further. ---
**Author:** ![micknlu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@micknlu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micknlu)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/113 "2002-08-28T21:33:59Z")
my WAG is that if Dopers can’t figure it out, it can’t be figured out, ie it’s a trick question or sooooo remote that the answer will be trivial and disappoint. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/114 "2002-08-28T21:53:11Z")
Well, googling turned up the fact that somebody else is working on this: > **[Comments on 19383](https://www.metafilter.com/19383/)** > > It starts with Delaware... Over at Google Answers, a Microsoft Games Studio employee has posted a most interesting puzzle to solve. Over the course of the last twenty months a list of states has... ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/115 "2002-08-29T13:15:06Z")
If it involves sports then it must be something pretty obscure. Pennsylvania is very big in collegiate & professional sports and we’re not even listed in the first 20, yet Rhode Island is. Since there’s 20 states listed so far, backing up 20 months puts us at January 2001. Might the list have something to do with the millenium, Christmas or New Year’s? ---
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/116 "2002-08-30T06:28:00Z")
The problem that y’all seem to have with this puzzle is that you are making the assumption that it pertains to events that occurred in the past. Or at the very least some state of affairs determined before the construction of the list occurred. This is obviously a list of the states that I have travelled to and been arrested for public drunkeness. And I’ll prove it… Now, exactly how do I get to DelaWhere? :\*) ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/117 "2002-08-30T12:30:51Z")
OK, here’s a hypothesis: We know that 1. the solution is “the order in which something happened,” and 2. the answer may be either 48 or 50 states (with the optional two being Alaska and Hawaii). If the answer could legitimately be _either_ 48 or 50 states, then I suggest that the “something” which happened occured between 1912 and 1959, while Alaska and Hawaii were territories. That would make the final list either 48 or 50 depending on your definition of “state”: current state, or state at the time that the “something” happened. Furthermore, it seems that the “something” would be associated with a rather momentous event or historical change. Possibilities: 1. Order in which the states mandated driver’s licenses (I was excited about this one until I found that Delaware apparently doesn’t issue driver’s licenses). 2. Order in which commercial radio or television stations, or movie theatres, were established. 3. Order, by state, of first casualties in WWI or WWII. 4. Order in which states adopted state birds, or state flowers, or state trees. 5. Order in which commercial airports were established. 6. Something to do with Prohibition? (it’s not the order in which states ratified the Amendment.) ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/118 "2002-08-30T12:49:26Z")
I know it’s not the oder of state flag adoption. Something I found was that Delaware may have been the first state to issue a fuel tax, back in 1923. I couldn’t find any information about any other states though. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/119 "2002-08-30T14:23:48Z")
Ratifying an amendment doesn’t seem likely, since apparently you order at least 48 of the states chronologically. So the amendments passed between 1912 and 1959 (income tax and prohibition/repeal of prohibition? I think direct election of senators predates 1912) aren’t it, unless one of them was ratified by all 48 states. I agree with what zut said, though - an event that ‘happened’ one state at a time between 1912 and 1959. Assuming that, it has to be something that ‘sort of’ involved Alaska and Hawaii, so either they adopted some law upon becoming a state, or you could kind of say they had casualties in a war, even though they were territories at the time. It does preclude something like ‘the order national guard were called up.’ I don’t think it’s zut’s number 2, since I’m pretty sure Pennsylvania had the first tv station, and it’s hard to believe New York wouldn’t be in the first two or three for either radio or tv. What strikes me is that Illinois and Wisconsin appear fairly early, together, after a few of the original 13 colonies. Something with trains? Slaughter houses? ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573/120 "2002-08-30T15:33:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bup \* > \*\*Something with trains? \*\* Probably not. I found the first locomotive in the US was in NY (imported from England). The Pitt-Ohio was one of the earliest train lines in the country and PA and OH and very high on that list. It’s funny, while we haven’t yet found out what the list is I’ve been finding out all sorts of interesting facts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puzzle-ordering-of-us-states/123573.md?page=7)