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Tyngsborough, Massachusetts (U.S.)

image based on www.state.ma.us/bsb/images/Framingham.jpg
Old Flag

Description of the flag
New flag

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State of Massachusetts

Description of the flag

A red flag with the town seal in white in the center (or off-center?). The seal appears to feature a shield with a diagonal bar, mottos above and below, and the town name and other details around in a ring, although the image is not of a quality to read it. Tyngsborough is in Middlesex County.

From the town homepage: www.tyngsboroughmass.com/:

"The Town of Tyngsborough is a small residential community located in the northwest section of Middlesex County. Composed of 17.86 square miles of land and surface water, bordering the towns of Dunstable, Groton, Westford, Chelmsford, Dracut, the City of Lowell, as well as the State of New Hampshire, and divided by the Merrimack River, Tyngsborough is dotted with numerous streams, lakes and great ponds. Long recognized as the 'gateway' to the White Mountains and located only thirty minutes from Boston along the Route 3 corridor, Tyngsborough enjoys a strategic position in the Merrimack Valley. During the past three years Tyngsborough has experienced a tremendous burst in residential construction but has retained the charm of a small rural community.

Tyngsborough, was founded in 1675 by Colonel Jonathan Tyng, and the Tyng Mansion House, was one of the oldest homes north of Boston. During the founding period, settlers of Tyngsborough fought a series of small, but often bloody skirmishes with local Indian tribes. Several colonial era homes in town still have emergency passage ways used during attacks. On February 23, 1809, Tyngsborough was incorporated as a town, breaking from Chelmsford, Dunstable, and the parishes in Billerica. As the town grew, Tyngsborough became known for its ferries, quarries, and box companies. Until the late 1960's, Tyngsborough was a vacation community with a large seasonal population. Today, Tyngsborough is a growing community of over 10,000 residents. A new Junior Senior High School, a new Police Station, and a progressive capital plan epitomize the community's desire to have the services of a larger community and all the charm of a small New England town."

Dov Gutterman, 30 November 2002

New flag

From the Lowell Sun at www.lowellsun.com (story no longer on-line):

Tyngsboro adopts official town flag
By ROBERT MILLS
Sun Staff

TYNGSBORO Selectmen voted to adopt an official town flag last night, possibly for the first time in the town's almost 200-year history. The town has had a flag hanging at the Statehouse in Boston for years now, but Historical Commission Chairwoman Marie Lambert told selectmen she does not think it was ever officially adopted by the town. Plus, there are only two known existing copies of that old flag. One hangs in Boston. The other is in Town Hall. Lambert said she began researching the former flag when she wondered if the town had one and learned of only two known town flags in existence.

The old flag is red with a white town seal in the middle and gold fringe. The new flag, adopted by selectmen last night, will have a red, black and yellow town seal on a white background. The flags will be the standard size of 4-feet-by-6-feet. Lambert told selectmen the seal bears the coat of arms of the Tyng family, for whom the town was named. The coat of arms consists of a shield with three mallards on it. Above the shield is what appears to be a lion's head or a griffin's head. A griffin, or gryphon, is a mythical beast that is half lion and half eagle.

"How did we become the Tyngsboro Tigers then?" Selectmen Donald Lampron quipped. Tyngsboro High School's mascot is a tiger, while the mascot of Greater Lowell Technical High School, also in Tyngsboro, is the gryphon.

Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union is contributing an estimated $3,000 to $5,000 to cover the total cost of having the new flags produced, according to Selectman Kevin O'Connor.

Before voting to adopt the new banner, Selectman Richard Lemoine noted that the board was adopting something that would likely represent the town for hundreds of years.Selectman Buddy Hackett suggested a document describing the flag be put in the public library so future generations know what it looks like if all copies once again disappear. Selectmen nixed a competing design for a new flag that featured a green and orange town seal with yellow print. Selectmen said they liked the mostly red and white design because it matches the colors used by the high school and the town's sports teams.

Phil Nelson, 7 January 2003