Monday, July 18, 2016

History Of Montana Flag

By Alfred Blue


Montana is the fourth largest U.S. state by area, behind Alaska, Texas, and California, but with an average of just six people per square mile, it is one of the countryĆ¢€™s least densely populated states.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806 were the first group of white explorers to cross Montana. Hard on the heels of the expedition arrived the fur trappers and traders. Trappers brought alcohol, disease and a new economic system to native populations. The fur trade was mostly over by the 1840's due to dwindling supplies of beaver, and the loss of popularity of the beaver hat.

Colonel Kessler's needed a flag or banner to distinguish Montana Volunteers from other units. "Colonel Kessler's Flag" embarked for the "Philippine Insurrection" with the First Montana Infantry in the fall of 1898, and served as the unit's chief insignia during its tour of duty. By the time the volunteers returned to a grand State welcome in October of 1899, the Colonel's private flag had grown in acceptance and stature.

You can't miss the Montana state flag with its large gold letters proudly displaying the state's name on top. These prominent letters should be equal to a tenth of the vertical measurement of the flag. Other than that, the state flag doesn't have many signs and symbols, only the seal of the state of Montana against a background of blue.

The seal shows some of Montana's beautiful scenery and tells what people were doing in pioneer times. The pick, shovel, and plow represent mining and farming. In the background, the sun rises over mountains, forests and the Great Falls of the Missouri river. A ribbon contains the state motto "Gold and Silver". The flag of the state of Montana consists of the image of the Montana state seal centered on a blue field. Within the seal, a plow, shovel, and pick rest in a field in front of the Great Falls of the Missouri River. The ribbon contains the state motto, "Oro y Plata" (Spanish for: "Gold and silver").

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior Montana flags being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported flags are cheaply made and inferior to American-made Montana flags, but more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods of printing do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flags made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Montana flag for the future.




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