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In
1898, Montana had no state flag. In 1905, the
Ninth Legislative Assembly of Montana voted to
adopt a rectangular banner depicting the
state seal on a
blue field as the official state flag. Some
states have sponsored contests to determine an
appropriate design for an official state flag.
Montana's design was born of the initiative of a
Colonel Kessler, head of the First Montana
Infantry. During
the Spring of 1898, the First Montana Infantry,
volunteers from several Montana communities,
prepared for the war against Spain at Fort
William Henry Harrison. Under the guidence of
Colonel Kessler, these volunteers where
"whipped" into fighting shape. The ladies of
Helena provided these men with a 45-star U.S.
flag to carry to the conflict as their
Regimental Colors.
Colonel
Kessler felt that his group of fighting
volunteers needed a special flag or banner to
distinguish his men from other forces and on his
own initiative, commissioned a unique flag for
the First Montana Infantry. The flag that was
constructed displayed an embroidered replica of
the Montana state seal on a dark background.
This hand-made silk flag displayed "1st Montana
Infantry U.S.V." above the state seal.
This
flag accompanied the First Montana Infantry to
war in the fall of 1898 and served the unit well
during its tour of duty.
When
the volunteers of the First Montana Infantry
returned to Montana a year later, Colonel
Kessler's flag had grown in stature and though
not official, it was considered a fitting symbol
of the state. In Helena, Colonel Kessler turned
the flag over to the Governor and it was offered
for display throughout the state.
Montana
still had no official state flag and many people
thought that the regimental flag of the First
Montana Infantry should be honored with official
recognition. In 1905, the Ninth Legislative
Assembly proclaimed Colonel Kessler's flag to be
the official flag of the state of Montana. Of
course the words "1st Montana Infantry" were
stricken.
Since
1905, changes have been made two times to the
flag.
- 1981 - The Legislature passed a bill
requiring that the word "MONTANA", in Roman
letters, be positioned above the seal. This
was to distinguish the Montana flag from the
flags of other states at a distance.
Secretary of State Jim Waltermire also
defined colors for the state seal on the
flag: from a gold sky with white clouds and
white sunrays to blue and white waterfalls.
- 1985 - More specific definition of the
letters spelling "MONTANA" was approved. "Helvitica
bold" was specified to eliminate the wide
variety of styles in use by manufacturers of
the flag.
The state
flag is blue with a gold fringe on the top and
bottom edges. The Montana state seal centered on
the blue field depicts some of Montana's
beautiful scenery and reflects the pioneering
history of the state. A brilliant sun over snowy
mountains, forests, cliffs and the Great Falls
of the Missouri River serve as the background
for a pick, a shovel and a plow. These tools
represent Montana's mining and farming past and
present.
The
state motto "ORO Y PLATA" (Spanish for Gold and
Silver) is displayed on a ribbon at the bottom
of the seal.
If you
want more information on the State Flags of the
United States, you might want to check
How Proudly They Wave: Flags of the Fifty
States by Rita D. Haban. This book is
geared toward kids... and for adults like me who
want to know about the history and design
significance of the flags of all fifty states
but can't find this information in an expensive
encyclopedia. |
Official State Flag of Montana
