Milton M Klein wrote:
>
>         The origin of the term Empire State is steeped in obscurity.
....
>         (This is about the same kind of question as how New York City came
> to be known as the Big Apple.
> There is no easy answer.)

However, there is a page on the web that answers the Big Apple question
in what is claimed to be an authoritative way.  It's one of the local
history sites featured at http://www.NYHistory.com/featured.htm

Bob Shear