This picture of the Birth of the American Flag reminds us of June 14 the day each year we celebrate Flag Day. The Flag Resolution passed on June 14, 1777, stated “Resolved, That the flag of thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union is thirteen stars, white in a blue field.
The story of Betsy Ross and how she made the first flag of America is one we have heard before but the history of the day we honor the flag is very interesting. Dating back to 1777 the story says the flag was born in Philadelphia but the holiday Flag Day did not become an official holiday until years later. In fact, it was one hundred years later in 1877 that people started to honor Flag Day and it did not become an official U.S. holiday until 1949. American citizens recognized the birth of the flag before it was an official holiday and held exercises in schools to teach the history of the flag including learning about the Flag Act of 1818 which stated the flag would always have thirteen red and white stripes representing the original thirteen colonies and a star on the blue union field for each state when they joined the union.
Many towns held Flag Day celebrations before the official day was created. Downers Grove held celebrations dating back to 1896. The flag was honored by a poem in the Reporter Newspaper on July 2, 1896, and articles also in the paper in 1912 and 1913 saying all churches, schools, and citizens should honor and pay homage to the flag on June 14. A special patriotic Flag Day celebration was held in 1918 that included a parade from South School, now Lincoln Center, through the village attended by 200 people. All businesses were encouraged to have patriotic displays in store windows. In recent years the day was honored in Downers Grove by a ceremony at Fischel Park.
The picture above has its own story. In 1897 Paul E. Werner pictured here multimillionaire and publisher of newspapers, school books, and encyclopedias held a contest asking artists from all over to draw a picture to represent the Betsy Ross story. Some 16 artists entered and it was a man from Chicago that won. John A. Hagstrom who was born in Sweden in 1865 drew the picture above. Hagstrom was a student of the Chicago Art Institute and worked for a lithographing company. His picture represents the moment Betsy Ross showed the flag to General Washington.
Flag Day is honored every year by a Proclamation made by the current President of the United States stating the week of June 14 as National Flag Week. Fly the flag and honor it.
