Warren sheaf., 1893-04-13
TIE MINNESOTA STATE FLAG.

was discarded by the designer, from
the fact that the thirteen original states
having been admitted together, the
rank Of Minnesota was more fairly
shown by counting it as the nineteenth
after the colonial states. The standard
of the flag was surmounted by golden
gopher, and tied with a gold cord and
tassel. The execution of the design is
entirely in needleworl1.
The thorough and careful work of the
designer is evident, and the auxiliary
may well feel proud in its results. Mrs.
| Center was also the artist of the model
of the auxiliary and the frieze of the
state building.
The flag awarded the second prize of
$40 was designed by Frank B. Hickman
of Anola. 1t has white ground bear
ing a scarlet star, representing the
| North Star state, with the points out
lined in gold and the state seal in the
! center surrounded by thirty-two stars
on blue ground. A wreath of wheat
includes the points of the star. At
! time when the state was first visited by
the whites, and 1855"
The third prize was awarded to Miss
Ada White, of Minneapolis. It was an
especially dainty and artistic piece of
work, but did not meet the require
ments of the flag. 1t has, however,
been adopted by the state commission
for cover for a book on the state ex-
hibits. The front of the flag is of blue
and the lower part Of red. In the upper
right hand corner is the state seal in
the center of a star, and on the left side
the figure of an Indian maiden, beauti-
fully painted, standing on spray of
moccasin flowers and wheat,
The designs were called for at the re-
quest of the committee in charge of the
women's building. The purpose is to
decorate the assembly hall with flags
from all the states. Mrs F. L. Green
leaf was chairman of the committee to
secure designs, and her assistants were
Mrs A. A. White, Of Moorhead, and
Mrs Edward Durant, of Saltwater.
The committee arranged the details of
! the matter and called for designs, and
in the interim between the cali and the
decision occupied the time in the study
Of the subject OF flags. The profound
research involved is not evident to the
uninitiated, but became patent to the
committee after weeks of patient re-
search in private and public libraries.
The designs came quick and fast, and
when the woman's board met in St.
Paul the last Tuesday in February to
examine them and make the amends it
was found that there were almost
hundred. The decision was not an easy
one to make. The women of the board
were mostly present, as the men of the
state committee were not invited to
take part. Mrs. Greenleaf, the chair
man Of the committee, was in the chair,
and was thus deprived Of both voice
and vote in the matter.
The following is the description of
the successful flag, as submitted to the
board by Mrs. Center:
In looking at this design, ask you to
Judge it as the frieze designs were
judged, viz: Without regard to color, as
the color of the flag would seem suffi-
GENTLY important to be voted upon by
the board I have looked at all the
SLttUS1 uC lA<GJOAAOy VI oAAO oOeSo0o
have no legal state flag. The choice Of
those remaining are about equally di-
vided between white and blue, several
states using stripes. Some states have
honored the colors carried by regiments
In battle, but these are exceptions. My
reason for suggesting white and blue
would be that, as it floats, it would be
effective at any height, and. so far as I
know, unlike any other state flag. The
star points in the design are to suggest
the North Star state. The moccasin
flower seems the necessary decoration,
as it is the legal state flower. The
arms are historic, being copied from
the seal in use when the state was adj
mitted found in manual of the legis-
lature Of 1891. do not know of any
other state emblem except the gopher.
# that were required it could be used
o replace the eagle commonly used at
;he top of the standard. In summing
ID points. 1 wish to emphasize the fact
hat If you choose for the flag design
With the moccasin flower, Minncsota
will be represented BY flag that must