From the California State Library: State Seal
The Constitutional Convention of 1849 adopted the
Great Seal of the State of California. The seal was
designed by Major R. S. Garnett of the United States
Army, and proposed by Caleb Lyon, a clerk of the
convention. The Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva,
has at her feet a grizzly bear and clusters of
grapes representing wildlife and agricultural
richness. A miner works near the busy Sacramento
River, below the Sierra Nevada peaks. The Greek
word "Eureka" meaning "I have found it", probably
refers to the miner's discovery of gold. Near the
upper edge of the seal are 31 stars representing
the number of states with California's anticipated
admission. Just as Minerva sprung full-grown from
the head of Jupiter, California became a state on
September 9, 1850, without having to go through a
territorial stage.
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