Sunday, December 18, 2016

History Of Idaho Flag

By Mark Jonhs


Bordered by the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north and the U.S. states of Montana and Wyoming to the east, Utah, and Nevada to the south, and Oregon and Washington to the west, Idaho is twice as large as the six New England states combined. With an abundance of scenic mountains, lakes, rivers and outdoor attractions, the state draws more than 20 million tourists each year.

The first settlement in the new place was by gold seekers from Pierce, Idaho, who in 1861 followed the Nez Perce Trail into Elk City Basin, hopeful of finding gravel deposits that would contain gold. The hopes of miners were realized and Elk City became the pioneer settlement of the upper Clearwater county.

No town existed until the following year when a local government was established. Throughout the early 1800s, more settlers came to Idaho. They included missionaries, fur traders, miners, and farmers. Many settlers traveled along the Oregon Trail which went through southern Idaho. Some settlers stopped along the way and made their home in Idaho. The first permanent settlement in Idaho was Franklin, which was established by the Mormons in 1860.

March 5, 1866, Idaho Territory adopted its first official seal, representing mountains below a new moon, a steamer on the Shoshone River, figures of Liberty and Peace, an elk’s head, and agricultural produce. A similar seal, with a rising sun replacing the moon and a miner instead of Peace, was adopted for the new state on March 14, 1891, and appears today in the state flag. The 1891 state seal is the only such American design to have been created by a woman, Emma Edwards (later Emma Edwards Green).

The state seal on the Idaho Flag stands for the main activities and industries of the state. The vegetables, fruit and the sheaf of wheat represent the agriculture practiced in Idaho. The miner is emblematic of the state's mineral resources and mining industry. The woman stands for justice, liberty and equality. The elk is a representation of all the species of fauna found in the state while the pine tree signifies the natural riches and timber industry of Idaho.

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




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