Hawkeye State to "The Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot" in tribute to friend Chief Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. Edwards proposed the nickname "Hawk-eyes" in 1838 to "...rescue from oblivion a memento, at least, of the name of the old chief", Black Hawk. The University of Iowa's athletic teams are nicknamed the Hawkeyes and feature a mascot named Herky the Hawk. The University of Iowa borrowed its athletic nickname from the state of Iowa. The name Hawkeye was originally applied to a hero in a fictional novel, The Last of the Mohicans, written by James Fenimore Cooper; the author had the Delaware Indians
Virginia State Route 117 A short distance east of the city limit, the state highway meets the northern end of SR 118 (Airport Road), which provides access to the airport from the north. SR 117 reaches its northern terminus at US 11 (Williamson Road) in Hollins. Virginia State Route 117 State Route 117 (SR 117) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Peters Creek Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 11 in Roanoke north to US 11 in Hollins. SR 117 provides a four-lane divided highway bypass of Downtown Roanoke, connecting US 11 and US 460 on