Sunday, July 17, 2016

Oregon State Flag History And The Flag Company Inc

By Adam Smith


Exploration by the Spanish and French, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Oregon was mapped by the Lewis and Clark expedition in their search for the Northwest Passage.

Starting in the 1830s, many groups of pioneers traveled to the state on the famous Oregon Trail, and the U.S. began joint settlement of the area with the United Kingdom. In 1846, the border between U.S. and British territory was formally established at the 49th parallel - the part of the territory that was given to Britain would ultimately become part of Canada. Oregon was officially admitted to the union as a state on February 14th, 1859.

The Oregon flag was originally adopted in February 1925. The current flag dates from Jan. 20, 1966. Oregon is the 33rd state of the union, gaining statehood on Feb. 14, 1859. Oregon's state nickname is the Beaver State. Oregon's flag is the only U.S. state flag to feature different designs on the obverse (front) and reverse (back).

The symbols on the shield include the mountains and forests of Oregon, an elk with branching antlers, a covered wagon and ox team, the Pacific Ocean with a setting sun, a departing British man-of-war ship (a symbol of the departure of British influence in the region) and an arriving American merchant ship (a symbol of the rise of American power). The 33 stars supporting the shield signify that Oregon was the 33rd state to join the Union.

The center sections of the flag feature a covered wagon which represents the early settlers and images of the state's forests and mountains. The bottom section has a plough, sheaf of wheat and a pickaxe, which represents the state's agricultural and mining resources. The reverse side of the flag has a beaver which is the state animal. Oregon is known as the Beaver State.

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior Oregon 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 Oregon 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 Oregon flag for the future.




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