She stands for all our heroes--
Courageous, strong, and brave.
She reminds us of the freedoms
They’ve fought to win and save.
from Meet Our Flag, Old Glory
written by April Jones Prince
illustrated by Joan Paley
Little, Brown, 2004
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and only just became aware that Cleveland has its own flag. It’s had one since 1896.
General Moses Cleavland chose the location for his city at the spot where the mouth of the Cuyahoga River empties into the southern shore of Lake Erie. It was to be the site for the new capital city of the Connecticut Western Reserve, a land company made of speculators from Connecticut. After making his decision, Cleaveland returned to Connecticut and never came back.
Local lore says that The Cleveland Advertiser dropped the first A in his name to make the name fit on its masthead. True? We will probably never know.
In its early days, Cleveland served as a major trading hub for the Great Lakes.
In the War of 1812, the 100 or so inhabitants of the general’s village had no idea of their importance to the War declared on Great Britain on June 18th. Because of its location, though, it served as a base for supplies, a meeting place for military units, and the establishment of Fort Huntington and a military hospital, neither of which are still standing.
By the time of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, which ended the war, the residents, because of their proximity to the river and the lake, could congratulate themselves on their strategic contributions to the nation’s war effort and their use of natural resources in their defense against an invasion that could have, but did not actually, materialize.
After the Ohio and Erie Canal was finished in 1832, the village became a key link from the Ohio River to the Great Lakes and from there to the Atlantic Ocean.
The population continued to grow.
Soon, Cleveland became home to immigrants from Europe and the Middle East as well as African American migrants moving North on their quest for better working conditions.
Before and during the Civil War, Cleveland was a major stop on the Underground Railroad. The city was full of a vocal group of abolitionists, strongly influenced by their roots in New England.
During the Civil War, Cleveland became an industrial giant, manufacturing everything from railroad iron to warships.
More people came.
The Rockefellers grew their refining centers in Cleveland, founding Standard Oil, which became Sohio before partnering with BP in the 1960s. The company used the name Sohio until 1991.
More business meant more opportunity. More opportunity, more people.
At the beginning of the 1900s, Cleveland was the country’s sixth largest city. Car manufacturing rivaled Detroit.
In the first Gilded Age, generous philanthropists helped grow Cleveland into a cultural center. The Cleveland Museum of Art advertised free admission. The Cleveland Orchestra, founded in 1918, is known as one of the five major orchestras in the US. Playhouse Square, a hub for live theater was built in the 1920s. North-moving musicians brought the jazz scene with them.
The 1920s also saw the growth of major retailers.
And Cleveland was a sports town. The Cleveland Guardians (playing as the Cleveland Indians) won their first World Series championship in 1920.
But the Great Depression brought unemployment to about half of the city’s industrial workers.
Recovery took time, but by the end of WWII, Cleveland was back. Population boomed to almost 1,000,000 people. Cleveland baseball, hockey, and football teams dominated their leagues.
And along came Alan Freed and his “rock and roll.”
But Cleveland grew in fits and starts.
When I was growing up, Cleveland was nicknamed “The best location in the nation.” By the time I was in high school, it was “the mistake on the lake.” Pollution in the Cuyahoga River was in no small part to blame for the name. Racial tension, tight budgets, and lost population due to “de-industrialization” played their part. A river burning and a spoiled lake competed with the “Emerald Necklace.”
How do you put all that on a flag?
It started in 1895 when a New York journalist, Julian Ralph, visited Cleveland. He was impressed with Cleveland’s civic spirit and pride and told William Stokely, a Plain Dealer reporter, that he was surprised Cleveland did not have a flag. Ralph, Stokely, and city leaders held a contest.
In 1895, Cleveland City Council unanimously adopted 18-year-old Susan Hepburn's design. It was unveiled on October 21, 1895, in time for the 100th anniversary of Cleveland's birth. Ms. Hepburn, an art school graduate, incorporated a shield with the name Cleveland on it, an anvil, a hammer, and a wheel to show the city’s growing industry. An anchor and windlass represented the importance of the lake and river. All on a red, white, and blue background. The current mayor, Robert McKisson, added the words “Progress and Prosperity” the next month.
Click here to see the original 1896 version:
A lot can happen in 100 + years, and last year a group of volunteer Clevelanders decided it was time to update the flag.
They wanted the flag to be “instantly recognizable” and “intimately connected with the identity of our city.” It was to be modern and inclusive. A new contest was put in place.
The new flag was unfurled last week. It’s designed by Shan Rodich and incorporates symbols both subtle and evocative.
See the flag and read up on the symbolism here:
You can see most of the submissions here:
Ted Kaye is a vexillologist, someone who studies flags. In his book Good Flag, Bad Flag, along with his five elements of good flag design, he includes a tip. Draw it small. Use a one-inch by one-and-a-half-inch rectangle to design your flag. That’s what a 3x5 foot flag looks like atop a flagpole from 100 feet away.
I wonder what a flag of Youngstown would look like?
Be curious! (and hold tight, especially when
the wind blows)
I’m reading The Queen’s Secret by Karen Harper (HarperCollins, 2020). At first, I was put off by the introductory pages’ long list of monarchs and their relations. I thought the story would be mired in the complexity of characters. I’m happy to report I was wrong. I’m learning about the Queen Mother, Elizabeth, who was QEII’s mother and the wife of King George VI. The book is historical fiction, and though extremely well-researched, the author admits to taking some liberties. Recommended.
Courageous, strong, and brave.
She reminds us of the freedoms
They’ve fought to win and save.
from Meet Our Flag, Old Glory
written by April Jones Prince
illustrated by Joan Paley
Little, Brown, 2004
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and only just became aware that Cleveland has its own flag. It’s had one since 1896.
General Moses Cleavland chose the location for his city at the spot where the mouth of the Cuyahoga River empties into the southern shore of Lake Erie. It was to be the site for the new capital city of the Connecticut Western Reserve, a land company made of speculators from Connecticut. After making his decision, Cleaveland returned to Connecticut and never came back.
Local lore says that The Cleveland Advertiser dropped the first A in his name to make the name fit on its masthead. True? We will probably never know.
In its early days, Cleveland served as a major trading hub for the Great Lakes.
In the War of 1812, the 100 or so inhabitants of the general’s village had no idea of their importance to the War declared on Great Britain on June 18th. Because of its location, though, it served as a base for supplies, a meeting place for military units, and the establishment of Fort Huntington and a military hospital, neither of which are still standing.
By the time of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, which ended the war, the residents, because of their proximity to the river and the lake, could congratulate themselves on their strategic contributions to the nation’s war effort and their use of natural resources in their defense against an invasion that could have, but did not actually, materialize.
After the Ohio and Erie Canal was finished in 1832, the village became a key link from the Ohio River to the Great Lakes and from there to the Atlantic Ocean.
The population continued to grow.
Soon, Cleveland became home to immigrants from Europe and the Middle East as well as African American migrants moving North on their quest for better working conditions.
Before and during the Civil War, Cleveland was a major stop on the Underground Railroad. The city was full of a vocal group of abolitionists, strongly influenced by their roots in New England.
During the Civil War, Cleveland became an industrial giant, manufacturing everything from railroad iron to warships.
More people came.
The Rockefellers grew their refining centers in Cleveland, founding Standard Oil, which became Sohio before partnering with BP in the 1960s. The company used the name Sohio until 1991.
More business meant more opportunity. More opportunity, more people.
At the beginning of the 1900s, Cleveland was the country’s sixth largest city. Car manufacturing rivaled Detroit.
In the first Gilded Age, generous philanthropists helped grow Cleveland into a cultural center. The Cleveland Museum of Art advertised free admission. The Cleveland Orchestra, founded in 1918, is known as one of the five major orchestras in the US. Playhouse Square, a hub for live theater was built in the 1920s. North-moving musicians brought the jazz scene with them.
The 1920s also saw the growth of major retailers.
And Cleveland was a sports town. The Cleveland Guardians (playing as the Cleveland Indians) won their first World Series championship in 1920.
But the Great Depression brought unemployment to about half of the city’s industrial workers.
Recovery took time, but by the end of WWII, Cleveland was back. Population boomed to almost 1,000,000 people. Cleveland baseball, hockey, and football teams dominated their leagues.
And along came Alan Freed and his “rock and roll.”
But Cleveland grew in fits and starts.
When I was growing up, Cleveland was nicknamed “The best location in the nation.” By the time I was in high school, it was “the mistake on the lake.” Pollution in the Cuyahoga River was in no small part to blame for the name. Racial tension, tight budgets, and lost population due to “de-industrialization” played their part. A river burning and a spoiled lake competed with the “Emerald Necklace.”
How do you put all that on a flag?
It started in 1895 when a New York journalist, Julian Ralph, visited Cleveland. He was impressed with Cleveland’s civic spirit and pride and told William Stokely, a Plain Dealer reporter, that he was surprised Cleveland did not have a flag. Ralph, Stokely, and city leaders held a contest.
In 1895, Cleveland City Council unanimously adopted 18-year-old Susan Hepburn's design. It was unveiled on October 21, 1895, in time for the 100th anniversary of Cleveland's birth. Ms. Hepburn, an art school graduate, incorporated a shield with the name Cleveland on it, an anvil, a hammer, and a wheel to show the city’s growing industry. An anchor and windlass represented the importance of the lake and river. All on a red, white, and blue background. The current mayor, Robert McKisson, added the words “Progress and Prosperity” the next month.
Click here to see the original 1896 version:
A lot can happen in 100 + years, and last year a group of volunteer Clevelanders decided it was time to update the flag.
They wanted the flag to be “instantly recognizable” and “intimately connected with the identity of our city.” It was to be modern and inclusive. A new contest was put in place.
The new flag was unfurled last week. It’s designed by Shan Rodich and incorporates symbols both subtle and evocative.
See the flag and read up on the symbolism here:
You can see most of the submissions here:
Ted Kaye is a vexillologist, someone who studies flags. In his book Good Flag, Bad Flag, along with his five elements of good flag design, he includes a tip. Draw it small. Use a one-inch by one-and-a-half-inch rectangle to design your flag. That’s what a 3x5 foot flag looks like atop a flagpole from 100 feet away.
I wonder what a flag of Youngstown would look like?
Be curious! (and hold tight, especially when
the wind blows)
I’m reading The Queen’s Secret by Karen Harper (HarperCollins, 2020). At first, I was put off by the introductory pages’ long list of monarchs and their relations. I thought the story would be mired in the complexity of characters. I’m happy to report I was wrong. I’m learning about the Queen Mother, Elizabeth, who was QEII’s mother and the wife of King George VI. The book is historical fiction, and though extremely well-researched, the author admits to taking some liberties. Recommended.
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