Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-27
THE CALIFORNIA FLAG.
1T WAS USED WHEN THE STATE WAS
A REPUBLIC.
Ii Originated i'm the Early Days-How Its
Design Was Made-It Hangs at
Spring and First Streets.

The large white flag futtering in the
breeze at the corner of Spring and First
streets, with single red star and red
stripe with grizzley bear in the center
and the words "California Republic"
has been an object of interest to many
citizens during the week and of curios-
ity to strangers unfamiliar with the
origin of this typical emblem of the
state of California.
The origin of the bear flag was in the
stirring times of 1846, when the Ameri-
can element in the then Mexican state
OF California, foreseeing the coming
struggle between the United States and
Mexico, revolted under the leadership
of Fremont, Merritt, Ide and others.
Bancroft tells the story of the flag, the
original banner then devised being
now in the possession of the Pioneers
society OF San Francisco. The historian
says the need of banner was naturally
one OF the first suggested. The insur-
gents had no right to unfurl the stars
and stripes, as many OF them doubtless
would have preferred to do; yet any
flag devised by Americans must needs
have at least a star and
stripe; and the appropriateness Of a
lone star could not fail to suggest itself
to men familiar with the history of
Texas and the similarity of condition
between that country and what they
hoped to make of California. A simple
copy, however, would not suffice, and
an additional emblem was required.
Somebody proposed the grizzly bear, an
animal then common in these regions
and whose reputation for strength and
unyielding resistance" could be attested
by every one of those resolute hunters
from personal experience. For materi-
ais they took what they could find-that
is. piece of common unbleached cotton
cloth, the manta of the Mexicans,
somewhat less than yard in width and
five feet long, and some strips of red
flannel about four inches wide. The
flannel, the stripe Of the flag, made of
the requisite length by piercing, was
sewn to the bottom of the cotton.
In the upper left hand corner nf the
white field of the flag was outlined in
ink and filled in with red paint an irreg-
ular fve.pointed star, fifteen inches
in it's greatest diameter. Just to
the right of the star, and facing it,
was painted in like manner what was
intended for a grizzly bear, statant.
Under the two emblems was rudely let
tered in black ink California Republic.
Such was the famous bear flag which
has given name to the revolution, and
which caused the insurgents to be
known to the natives as Osos.
William L. Todd, native of Los An
geles county for many years, was the
author of the bear flag. In letter to
Col. J. J. Ayers, some years ago, Mr..
Todd told the story of the origin of the
flag. One of the ladies at the garrison
gave a piece of brown domestic, and
Mrs. Captain Sears gave some strips of
red flannel about four inches wide. The
domestic was new, but the flannel was
said to have been a part of petticoat
worn by Mrs. Sears across the mount
aims. Mr.. Todd made an outline with
pen and ink of the bear and star upon
the white cotton cloth. Linseed oil and
Venetian red were found in the garrison,
and he painted the bear and star. Un-
derneath these emblems were printed
with pen in Roman letters the words
California Republic" The general
opinion as to the date when the flag was
raised places it on June Is, 1916.