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St. Louis, Missouri (U.S.)

image by Jorge Candeias, 18 October 1998

Flag Description
Flag of 1861
1904 World's Fair

See also:

Flag Description

The flag has a red field, with blue wavy lines (presumably representing rivers), outlined in white, coming from the two left corners, meeting approximately one-third of the way from the left of the flag. Extending from their intersection is another river line extending horizontally to the right end of the flag. However, the intersection of the three lines is covered by a blue fleur-de-lis in a gold circle. The fleur denotes St. Louis's original French settlement (having been named for King Louis).
Kevin Joseph, 27 April 1998

This flag is known as the "3-Rivers" flag -- the coming together of the Missouri, Mississippi, and Illinois rivers at St Louis.
Keith Bakunas, 24 October 1999

The St. Louis city flag is occasionally flown in St. Louis County, although it has no legal status there. St. Louis City seceded from St. Louis County in 1876 and is now considered a separate Missouri county. There is at the moment, extremely modest sentiment here for rejoining the two in some fashion. This flag may possibly become a regional symbol in the future.
Christopher S. Johnson, 30 January 1999

Revised Code of the City of St. Louis, (Section 1.20.010)

"The design submitted by Professor Emeritus Theodore Sizer, Pursuivant of Arms at Yale university, and now on file in the office of the City register is approved, adopted and designated as the official flag of the City. The flag with a solid red background has two broad heraldic wavy bars, colored blue and white, extending from the left top and bottom corners toward left center where they join and continue as one to the center right edge. This symbolizes the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Over the point of confluence a round golden disk upon which is the fleur-de-lis of France (blue) calling attention to the French background of the early city and more particularly to St. Louis of France for whom the City is named. The golden disk represents the City and/or the Louisiana Purchase. (Heraldically, the disk is a "bezant" or Byzantine coin signifying, money or simply purchase.)

The flag's colors recall those of Spain (red and yellow or gold), Bourbon France (white and gold), Napoleonic and Republican France (blue, white and red), and the United States of America (red, white, and blue)."

Thomas G. Pike, 3 April 2000

Flag of 1861

image by Rob Raeside, 4 October 1998

This is taken from The Civil War in St. Louis by William C. Winter:

The flag flying from the Berthold mansion was described in unflattering terms by one newspaper as "an ugly, doleful, uninspiring piece of cloth, consistent of a 'yaller' cross, crescent and star arranged in an angle in a deep indigo-blue field." Another newspaper described the flag's color as nearly black. A crescent was on one corner, a cross turned upside down occupied its center, and the other corner was occupied by a single star.

This flag only flew a day or two. Winter describes another flag raised over St. Louis at this time as an "'American ensign' with only one star and bearing the Missouri coat of arms."

Christopher Johnson, 6 October 1998

1904 World's Fair

image by Dave Martucci, 30 November 1999

This flag was used during the Fair held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904. Called the "The Louisiana Purchase Exposition" the event was celebrated by a special flag. The information is from "The St. Louis World's Fair" by Margaret Johanson Witherspoon (St. Louis MO, The Folkstone Press, 1973, p.93).
Dave Martucci, 30 November 1999

Also noteworthy is that the first modern Olympic Games in the Western Hemisphere were held in St. Louis in 1904 in conjunction with and immediately adjacent to the Exposition.
Bob Hague, 22 July 2003