The Idaho state flag went through three versions before the current one was approved in 1957. The design is based on a military standard and features the state seal, representing forestry, agriculture, and mining.
The Idaho state flag went through three different versions, as the first two did not quite meet the legislative requirements. The first flag was commissioned in 1907, but the original specifications did not meet the legal status. The statutes were revised in 1927 to clarify that the full state seal should be included on the flag, but some elements of the design were not yet standardized. In 1957, an improved version of the state seal was approved and questions about the seal were resolved. The design of the flag was based on an earlier military standard.
As with many other state flags, the Idaho state flag originated as a military banner. In 1898, Idaho sent two battalions to fight in the Spanish-American War. Just before these men left to fight, they received a flag from the women of Idaho. The regiment carried this flag throughout the war; it is currently on display at the Idaho capital.
This first flag was designed by Colonel Charles H. Irvin and created by needles in Chicago. It was made of military blue silk with the Idaho State Seal embroidered in the center with colored silk threads. A gold fringe is found on three sides of the flag.
In 1907, the Idaho legislature decided to create an official state flag and chose a design very similar to the military standard. It was the job of the Idaho Adjutant General to create this flag. The only major change to the flag was that, instead of the regiment’s name, the new flag would contain the state’s name.
The dimensions of the first flag were 5 feet 6 inches (1.67 meters) wide and 4 feet 4 inches (1.32 meters) high. The fringe was 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) wide and the state seal was 21 inches (53.34 cm) in diameter, located in the center of the flag. The letters for the phrase “State of Idaho” were 2 inches (5.08 cm) high on a red band 29 inches (73.66 cm) long and 3 inches (7.62 cm) high. The band was placed 8.5 inches (21.59 cm) above the bottom edge of the flag.
The clarifications given by the adjutant general were actually different from those in the 1907 law. The main difference was that the entire state seal was not used, only pictorial information without words. In 1927, the adjutant general’s specifications were enacted into law, replacing those of the 1907 statute. The Idaho state flag controversy continued through 1957, all based on the representation of the state seal. In that year, the state legislature approved a new version of the state seal, which has been used on the Idaho state flag ever since.
The images on the Idaho state flag seal represent the state’s major industries: forestry, agriculture, and mining. The miner on the seal represents mineral wealth and mining. The fruit and vegetables and the sheaf of wheat represent agriculture. A lone pine represents the lumber industry and a moose represents forestry wildlife.
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