Last modified: 2006-08-26 by rick wyatt
Keywords: minnesota | united states |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
image by Mario Fabretto, 24 February 1998
Municipal flags:
See also:
In 1858, a star was added, representing Minnesota, bringing the total number of stars on the U.S. flag to 32. There were thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies.
Minnesota Statutes
1.141 Official state flag.
Subdivision 3. Description. The design of the flag shall conform substantially to the following description:
The staff is surmounted by a bronze eagle with outspread wings; the flag is rectangular in shape and is on a medium blue background with a narrow gold border and a golden fringe. A circular emblem is contained in the center of the blue field. The circular emblem is on a general white background with a yellow border. The word MINNESOTA is inscribed in red lettering on the lower part of the white field. The white emblem background surrounding a center design contains 19 five pointed stars arranged symmetrically in four groups of four stars each and one group of three stars. The latter group is in the upper part of the center circular white emblem. The group of stars at the top in the white emblem consists of three stars of which the uppermost star is the largest and represents the north star. A center design is contained on the white emblem and is made up of the scenes from the great seal of the state of Minnesota, surrounded by a border of intertwining Cypripedium reginae, the state flower, on a blue field of the same color as the general flag background. The flower border design contains the figures 1819, 1858, 1893. The coloring is the same on both sides of the flag, but the lettering and the figures appear reversed on one side.Joe McMillan, 14 February 2000
The flag of Minnesota has the state seal in its center. Around the seal is a wreath of the state flower , the lady slipper. Three dates are woven into the wreath.
1858 - the year Minnesota became a state,
1819 - the year Fort Snelling was established and
1893 - the year the official flag was adopted.
The largest star between the 19 stars on the wreath represents Minnesota.
Dov Gutterman, 7 October 1998
The correct color is royal blue. That is the color the State of Minnesota requests when purchasing. The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota (Sioux) Indian language meaning sky tinted waters, or more popularly sky blue waters. Minnesota has many lakes, 15,215 over 10 acres. Because of the lakes and sky, we have always used a lighter blue, a medium blue which is close to royal blue. This is probably the most important feature of the flag and the part most people who see the flag as beautiful react to, that and the yellow stars which are a pleasing color combination.
Although there may be a firm standard for royal blue, I have several shades of royal blue, from lighter to darker, and have found the same when ordering royal blue. Even different dye lots turn out different shades.
Lee Herold, 23 December 2001
The seal on Minnesota's flag has 19 stars (forming a large star) around it because it was the 19th state added after independence.
Nathan Bliss, 28 March 1996
Before 1957 the Minnesota flag was a white field with the state arms, ribbon, and stars across the field. The reverse was supposed to be plain blue. Like Massachusetts, this was very expensive to produce. In 1957 the flag was made blue (both sides) with a white disk in the center with the state arms. The 1957 design was slightly altered in the late 1980's to make the flag conform to the state seal.
Nick Artimovich, 31 July 1996
The designer of the first Minnesota flag was Mrs. Amelia Center, in 1893. It was unique in the fact that the obverse was a white field, and the reverse a blue field. In 1957 it was simplified to a blue field on both sides (& other simplifications) and in 1983 changed again. However, all based on the original design by Mrs. Center.
Lee Herold, 14 May 1997
The State legislature of 1893, by Chapter 16, provided for a state flag. Mrs. Franklyn L. Greenleaf, Mrs. A. A. White, Mrs. Edward Durant, Mrs. F.B. Clarke, Mrs. H. F. Brown and Mrs. A. T. Stebbins were by this act named a commission to
select an appropriate design. This commission called for designs, and on Feb. 28, 1893 met and adopted the design presented by Mrs. Edward H. Center, of Minneapolis. Following is a description of the flag: "The ground is of white silk, and the reverse of blue silk, bordered with bullion fringe. In the center is the state seal, wreathed with white moccasin flowers, on a blue ground. The red ribbon of the seal bearing a motto is continued through the wreath, entwining the blossoms and floating carelessly over the lower portion of the flag. It bears, in gold, the dates 1819, the time of the settlement of Minnesota, and 1893. Above, also in gold, is the date 1858, the time of the admission of Minnesota to the Union. Below the design, in gold letters, is wrought 'Minnesota.' Grouped around the seal are nineteen stars in the design of star points, with the North Star, significant of the North Star State, in a group of three at the top." The choice of the number nineteen is a peculiarly happy one, as Minnesota was the nineteenth state, after the original thirteen, to be admitted to the Union. The standard (see note) to the flag was surmounted by a golden gopher, and tied with a gold cord and tassel. The execution of the design is entirely in needle work.
Ben Cahoon, 27 June 2003
Note: "Standard" in this context meaning the staff, which makes the golden gopher the finial--undoubtedly one of the few flags ever to have a rodent designated as a finial. (One of Minnesota's nicknames is the
"Gopher State," and the sports teams of the University of Minnesota are known as the "Golden Gophers.")
Joe McMillan, 27 June 2003
The 1957 flag was designed specifically to lower the cost of the two-sided flag. The committee to come up with a new design proposal was limited to retaining the basic design of the current flag (i.e. the State Seal). The State law requires the Minnesota Secretary of State to keep the committee's sample and give out information about the flag when requested. Of course, the Secretary of State does not have the flag, and has no information about it. The shade of blue and other particulars are therefore to be according to the missing sample. The State of Minnesota always orders flags in royal blue.
The 1983 version has a new State Seal.
Lee Herold, 13 September 2005
Minnesota Statutes
1.135 State seal.
Subdivision 3. Design. The design of the seal is as described in this subdivision.
image by Joe McMillan, 21 April 2000
The state military crest, which is the crest used in the coats of arms of units of the National Guard, as granted by the precursor organizations of what is now the Army Institute of Heraldry. The official Institute of Heraldry blazon is
"A sheaf of wheat proper."
Joe McMillan, 21 April 2000