The flag of the U.S. state of Maine from 1901 to 1909 was the first official flag to be used to represent the state other than its militia; it was later replaced by a more standard military-style flag in 1909.
The flag has recently seen a revival of interest due to local Maine vexillologists advocating for its re-adoption and businesses selling reproductions of it. There has been a movement for Maine to readopt a version of this flag design since at least 1991, with a referendum on the issue having been held in November 2024 and resulting in the 1901 flag not being readopted.
Design
Although the official pattern for "Embroidered or Painted Bunting" was published by the Legislature, the 1901 legislative document simply states “buff charged with the emblem of the State, a pine tree proper in the center and the polar star (a mullet of five points), in blue in the upper corner.” As long as this criterion is met, the flag should be considered a Maine state flag. Some flags today might have stylized pine trees or various shades of “buff” (beige).[1] The pine tree is a traditional symbol of New England and has been featured on New England flags since at least 1686, notably the Pine Tree Flag, although the White Pine as a symbol probably is derived from Native American usage going back to the Iroquois Tree of the Great Peace which was first used more than 800 years ago.
A modern popular version of the flag uses a tree design from the Maine merchant and marine flag.[2]
History
Photograph of a surviving period-correct flag in a private collection
Although Maine had a semi-official militia flag from the 1820s to at least the 1860s,[3] an official design was first proposed at the time the State House was being enlarged.
Adoption
On March 6, 1901, An act to establish a State Flag was read in the State House of Representatives and referred to the Military Affairs Committee. It was read the next day in the State Senate and also referred to Military Affairs. The first draft of this act reads as follows:
The State Flag is hereby declared to be blue, charged with the Arms of the State in the colors and as described in the Resolves of the State of Maine from 1820 to 1828, Volume I, Chapter IV. Resolve for providing a Seal, June 9th, 1820, Description of the Device, &c., of the Seal and Arms of the State of Maine.[4]
The Military Affairs Committee read their report on this act in the House on March 15 and in the Senate on March 19; this report contained a new draft and was read by Frederick Walls of Vinalhaven (born North Searsmont, Me., 1844; died Vinalhaven, March 15, 1921, son of Jacob Walls and Eliza Thompson) with the recommendation, ought to pass. The new draft reads as follows:
The State Flag is hereby declared to be buff charged with the emblem of the State, a pine tree proper in the center and the polar star (a mullet of five points), in blue in the upper corner. The star to be equidistant from the hoist and upper border of the flag, the distance from the two borders to the center of the star equal to about one quarter the hoist. This distance and the size of the star being proportionate to the size of the flag.
This act passed both houses and on March 21, 1901 was Engrossed – Chapter 233 – State Law.[5]
The flag, a simple combination of a buff ground bearing a Pine Tree in the center and a blue star in the canton, was the creation of Adjutant General John T. Richards. In its 26 March 1901 edition, on page 5, The Kennebec Journal reported that “He did not word the description according to the terms used in heraldry because they might be blind to many who are not familiar with them, but the bill in simple comprehensive language set forth General Richards’ design.”
The paper went on to explain “The design as adopted is preferable in many aspects to the State coat-of-arms ... Maine is everywhere known as ‘The Pine Tree State’ and what could be more appropriate than ... the tree should be one of the features of the flag? ... Were a flag bearing the pine tree carried through any city the people would say ‘There is Maine’.”
“Besides being the most appropriate in design, the State flag will be a thing of beauty. The background of buff, the old colonial color, will harmonize perfectly with the green of the tree and the blue pole star and altogether will form a beautiful emblem most fitting in appearance and sentiment to be the standard of the old State of Maine.”
Usage
The design was also used by the militia both as a military flag and as the design for the buttons of the new uniforms. The Maine Railroad Company, known as “The Pine Tree Line”, also used a variant on its conductors' uniform buttons. The design was also used by the people of Maine in various capacities, such as at the "Old Home Week" celebrations in 1901 and later and in various cities such as Boston and New York that had active Maine State Clubs. The State of Maine launch "Sea Gull" reportedly used it as a jack in 1904.[6] Even as the Maine Legislature decided to change the flag in 1909, it was proudly displayed by the Hon. F.E. Timberlake at his Rangeley "camp", Marsquamosy Lodge.[7]
Only one existing contemporary example of the 1901 flag is known to exist today. It is a small silk flag made about 1908 by the A. Kimball Co. of New York, likely for the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, which was held in 1909. There are three known copies of this flag, one each in California, Maryland, and Maine.
Replacement
A new law was later enacted on February 23, 1909, modeled on the first draft and supposedly after flags used in the Civil War, which revised the original:
§206. State flag. The flag to be known as the official flag of the State shall be of blue, of the same color as the blue field in the flag of the United States, and of the following dimensions and designs; to wit, the length or height of the staff to be 9 feet, including brass spearhead and ferrule; the fly of said flag to be 5 feet 6 inches, and to be 4 feet 4 inches on the staff; in the center of the flag there shall be embroidered in silk on both sides of the flag the coat of arms of the State, in proportionate size; the edges to be trimmed with knotted fringe of yellow silk, 2 1/2 inches wide; a cord, with tassels, to be attached to the staff at the spearhead, to be 8 feet 6 inches long and composed of white and blue silk strands. A flag made in accordance with the description given in this section shall be kept in the office of the Adjutant General as a model.[8]
The 1909 flag is described in minute detail, including specific size, embroidery in silk, pole, spearhead, fringe, cord and tassel; there are no flags known to exist that meet these legal descriptions. The supposed model flag in the Adjutant General's office is made of printed synthetic materials and is mounted on a pole shorter than nine feet and includes purple trees in the forest behind the white pine and moose.
To be clear, the suggestion that this flag was the same as flags used during the Civil War, an argument used to support the change, is not entirely true. Like all other Union States, Maine regiments used different flags 1861-1865. When the War started in 1861, existing Maine Militia units were mobilized and engaged using the 1822 pattern State Militia Colors. The report of Colonel J.B. Kershaw, commanding the 2nd South Carolina Infantry, dated 27 July 1861, reads:
"Among the trophies taken by my regiment was the flag of the First Regiment, Second Brigade, Fourth Division, of the State of Maine, with its proud motto, "Dirigo", and a small Federal ensign." (O.R., Series I, Vol. 2, p. 527).
The "Register of Captured Flags, 1861-65", compiled by the War Department during and immediately after the Civil War included a list of 263 Union recaptured flags that were found among the C.S. War Department archives, with dispositions provided for most. Of the Union recapture list, No. 219 of the register was described as such:
"No. 219 Regimental flag of the 1st Regiment Maine Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 4th Division. no history."
It was returned to Maine 31 March 1905[9] but its present whereabouts is unknown. This flag is certainly one of the 1822 pattern colors.
The flags that were issued by the State of Maine 1861-1863 mostly were blue with the State Arms either on both sides or on one side. As each was individually painted by different painters, there was considerable variation. The 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry Color, for example, bore the Maine Arms on the obverse and the U.S. Eagle on the reverse, a not uncommon design of the day.
By 1863, however, regiments were drawing their arms and equipment from the Federal Government rather than the State and those flags were blue with the U.S. Eagle on both sides. The famous flag of the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry used at Gettysburg was of this design.
In both 1991 and 1997, David B. Martucci of Washington, advocated for proposed legislation, brought forward by his representatives in the Maine Legislature, to revert to the 1901 flag, arguing that it was a simpler, more representative design of Maine as the "Pine Tree State" and was unlike any other current U.S. state flag. In both 1991[10] and 1997[11] the proposal failed, receiving 0 and 1 votes respectively.
Local Maine businesses have also begun advocating for the return of the 1901 Maine flag.[12] In 2008, CRW Flags in Glen Burnie, Maryland, began offering an exact copy of the only known existing flag from the 1900s.[13] In 2017, the Maine Flag Company[14] began producing an appliqué version of the original Maine flag in their studio in Portland. In place of the original tree, Maine Flag Company used the simplified pine tree from Maine's official ensign.[12] As this simplified flag began to gain more visibility, other manufacturers began to produce it, including the Maine Stitching Specialties of Skowhegan,[15] and the Bath Flag Company of Bath,[16] both in Maine. Nationwide retailers have also adopted variations of the new design; Indianapolis-based Flags For Good sells it[17] as part of their "Better State Flag" series,[18] as does the Gettysburg Flag Works of East Greenbush, New York.[19]
Some of these and other firms sell clothing, hats, stickers, patches, beverage coolers, and other items bearing the flag or its elements.[20]
Thanks to these manufacturers, the 1901 Maine flag is undergoing a surge in popularity.
A legislative bill was submitted in 2019 to change the state's official flag to one more resembling the original.[21] After an initial wave of support, the bill died in committee due to a larger outcry over changing the flag.[citation needed]
Version put to referendum in 2024.
On 3 February 2021, the State and Local Government Committee of the Maine Legislature considered LD 115, An Act To Restore the Former State of Maine Flag[22] sponsored by Representative Sean Paulhus, and took testimony from 13 individuals, including Rep. Paulhus. All but one supported the bill; Secretary of StateShenna Bellows testified neither in favor nor in opposition to the bill. On 10 February 2021, the committee voted out a Divided Report. Subsequently, the Maine Legislature defeated the proposal.
On 6 June 2023, the Maine House of Representatives narrowly advanced a bill, proposing to change the state flag to the original 1901 version, by 66 to 64.[23] This established a public vote, and a statewide contest was held to establish a specific design, with the winning entry created by Adam Lemire of Gardiner.[24]
On 5 November 2024 the Maine State Flag Referendum, also known as Question 5 was rejected by state voters; if enacted, it would have changed the official state flag to Lemire's update of the 1901 flag.[25] The campaign was marked by intense discussion of whether the readoption of the 1901 flag was motivated by ideological concerns (including contrasting allegations that the 1901 flag was similar to the "Appeal to Heaven" flag associated with Christian nationalism in the USA, and that opponents of the existing flag were seeking to "erase" white men from Maine's state identity), as well consideration of the potential cost of replacing official flags.[26]
The flag of Missouri, often referred to as the Missouri flag, is the state flag of the U.S. state of Missouri. It consists of a triband of three equal horizontal stripes colored red, white, and blue, with the arms from the Great Seal of Missouri in the center. Designed by Mary Elizabeth Oliver, the red and white stripes represent valor and purity, respectively. The blue stripe represents the permanency, vigilance, and justice of the state. The three colors also highlight the French influence on the state in its early years. The Missouri flag was established on March 22, 1913, when governor Elliot Woolfolk Major signed the State flag act making it official.
The coat of arms of the state of New York was formally adopted in 1778, and appears as a component of the state's flag and seal.
The coat of arms of the state of New Jersey includes:
The flags of the U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia exhibit a variety of regional influences and local histories, as well as different styles and design principles. Modern U.S. state flags date from the turn of the 20th century, when states considered distinctive symbols for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Most U.S. state flags were designed and adopted between 1893 and World War I.
The flag of Delaware consists of a buff-colored diamond on a field of colonial blue, with the coat of arms of the state of Delaware inside the diamond. Below the diamond, the date December 7, 1787, declares the day on which Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. The colors of the flag reflect the colors of the uniform of General George Washington.
The flag of Maine features the state coat of arms on a blue field. In the center of a heraldic shield, a moose rests under a tall pine tree. A farmer and seaman are meant to represent the traditional reliance on agriculture and the sea by the state. The North Star is intended to allude to the state motto: dirigo.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been represented by official but limited-purpose flags since 1676, though until 1908 it had no state flag per se to represent its government. A variant of the white flag with blue seal was carried by each of the Massachusetts volunteer regiments during the American Civil War alongside the National Colors. An exception were the two "Irish regiments", each of which was permitted to carry an alternative green flag with a harp symbol.
The flag of Pennsylvania consists of a blue field on which the state coat of arms is displayed.
The state flag of Vermont displays the state's coat of arms and motto on a rectangular blue background. The Vermont General Assembly adopted the flag on June 1, 1923.
The state flag of West Virginia was officially adopted by the West Virginia Legislature on March 7, 1929. The present flag consists of a pure white field bordered by a blue stripe with the coat of arms of West Virginia in the center, wreathed by Rhododendron maximum and topped by an unfurled red ribbon reading, "State of West Virginia." It is the only state flag to bear crossing rifles, meant to illustrate the importance of the state's fight for liberty during the Civil War as the southern unionist 35th state.
Buff is a light brownish yellow, ochreous colour, typical of buff leather. Buff is a mixture of yellow ochre and white: two parts of white lead and one part of yellow ochre produces a good buff, or white lead may be tinted with French ochre alone.
The Great Seal of the State of Maine was adopted in June 1820. The concept of the design is attributed to Benjamin Vaughan of Hallowell, Maine, while the original sketch is credited to Bertha Smouse, the step-daughter of Col. Isaac Reed of Waldoboro, Maine, who purportedly wrote its official description and explanation. There have been variations in the details of the seal, but the overall design and images remain true to the original. The center of the seal is a shield adorned with a tranquil scene of a moose resting in a field bordered by water and woods; a pine tree stands tall directly behind the moose. On either side of the shield, a farmer rests on his scythe, and a sailor leans on an anchor. Above the shield is the motto "Dirigo" and a stylized North Star. Below the shield is a banner that reads "Maine". The legislature of 1919 decided that the design of the seal should no longer vary, and the design is still used today.
The Edgefield Hussars comprised a military company raised in the state of South Carolina. It served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, being redesignated as Company A, Cavalry Battalion, Hampton Legion. It fought in numerous battles in the Eastern Theater.
The coat of arms of Vermont is the official armorial bearings of the U.S. state of Vermont. Most of the elements found in the coat of arms originate in the Great Seal of Vermont designed by Ira Allen. Whereas the Great Seal of Vermont is reproduced in a single color and is reserved for embossing and authenticating state documents, the coat of arms is a more naturalistic and colorful representation of many of the same elements. The coat of arms of Vermont was first used in 1807 on $5 banknotes of the Vermont State Bank. One of these notes is in the special collections of the Vermont History Center in Barre, Vermont. Prior to the discovery of the 1807 banknotes, the earliest representation of the coat of arms of Vermont was found on an engraved 1821 state military commissions. The exact designer is not known, but it is likely that then Secretary of State Robert Temple worked with an engraver in developing the arms. Considerable liberties were taken in early depictions of the coat of arms. The location of the cow and the sheaves moved about the foreground, and the height of the pine tree and size of the buck's head also varied. A state statute was approved in 1840, and modified in 1862, both attempts to codify and create more consistent representation of the arms. The coat of arms was cast in brass to ornament uniforms of Vermont's military regiments before, and through the U.S. Civil War, when individual states raised and trained their own regiments.
New England has no official flag. However, there have been many historical or modern banners used to represent the region in its history. While there are some variations, common designs include a plain colored field with a pine tree in the canton. The eastern white pine is the most common and prominent symbol of New England and is featured on many of the region's flags.
The Pine Tree Flag was one of the flags used during the American Revolution. The flag, which featured a pine tree with the motto "An Appeal to Heaven", or less frequently "An Appeal to God", was used by a squadron of six schooners commissioned under George Washington's authority as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army beginning in October 1775.
The coats of arms of the U.S. states are coats of arms, that are an official symbol of the state, alongside their seal. Eighteen states have officially adopted coats of arms. The former independent Republic of Texas and Kingdom of Hawaii each had a separate national coat of arms, which are no longer used.
The 5th Georgia Volunteer Infantry was organized on May 11, 1861, and surrendered on April 26, 1865. They were formed from 10 Companies in 1861 to be first posted in Florida under General Bragg, where they received their training. Their first combat assignment was on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Florida. The assault on the Island resulted in a victory and early experience for the regiment. Following this, the regiment was posted in early 1862 to Knoxville, Tennessee, and Corinth, Mississippi. They were ordered to move on Shiloh in April but arrived too late to participate in the battle. The regiment fought in and around Corinth until the end of May, when they were ordered to participate in the Invasion of Kentucky. Following that failure they were reassigned to battle in Murfreesboro. This proved devastating to the 5th Georgia, where they received 32% casualties along with their Colonel and the regimental battle flag. Following this defeat the regiment pulled back to Shelbyville, Tennessee, where it remained until they went to participate in the Tullahoma Campaign.
The 2024 Maine flag referendum was a legislatively referred state statute held on November 5, 2024, that sought to change the official state flag from the current version, first enacted in 1909, to a variation of the 1901 flag.
References
↑ Buff is supposed to be the color of tanned deer hide and was the distinguishing traditional color of the Whig Party in both England and America prior to the Revolutionary War (see "West's Encyclopedia of American Law", accessed at http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/us-history/whig-party on June 2, 2017). Along with "Continental blue", it was George Washington's signature color that he specified as the facing color for the Continental Army command staff (see George Washington Parke Custis, "Private Memoirs of Washington, by His Adopted Son, With a Memoir of the Author, by His Daughter; and Illustrative and Explanatory Notes, by Benson J. Lossing" [Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, 1861], p. 520).
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