Unique U.S. State Flags: A Glance

Although there is a constant debate about the national U.S. flag and how it should be treated and displayed, the U.S. state flags are often overlooked and some have incredible history and really interesting designs. Do you know much about your own state flag? Or how about your state seal which is shown on so many state flags in the United States? Here is a glimpse into the history and unusual aspects of some of our state flags!

New Jersey: The New Jersey flag was adopted in March of 1896 and is somewhat unusual among its counterparts because of its buff color. The New Jersey state flag is also an important historical symbol because it copies aspects of a battle flag used in the Revolutionary war. George Washington ordered that the New Jersey soldiers wear a blue uniform with buff colored "facings." The flags for each regiment were then ordered to coordinate with the color of the facings so the buff colored New Jersey flag was born. This flag also incorporates aspects of the New Jersey state seal including two women that represent liberty and agriculture, the blue shield which depicts three plows to represent the farming industry and the helmet of a knight prepared for battle. The motto "Liberty and Prosperity" acts as a border beneath the emblem with the date 1776 immortalizing our nation's birth.

Ohio: The Ohio state flag, adopted in 1902, stands out among others because it is not rectangular in shape; in fact, the Ohio state flag is the only state flag in the U.S. to deviate from the more standard rectangular flag shape. The shape of the flag has been described as a "pennant" but it is actually a "swallow tail" because the point at the end is bisected. The design incorporates a large blue triangle, which acts as the field of the flag, to represent the hills and valleys of Ohio. 17 stars decorate the Union, 13 to represent the original colonies and 4 to represent the states that followed, including Ohio which was the 17th state in the Union. A large red circle bordered in white sits at the center of the blue triangle and represents not only the "O" of Ohio, but also the state nickname: "The Buckeye State." Three red and two white horizontal stripes extend from the triangular union to represent the American Flag.

Washington: The Washington State flag, adopted in 1925 with minor modifications in 1967, although simple in design, has several unique characteristics. First of all, the flag has a field of green which is somewhat unusual and it holds the state seal, which shows a portrait of President George Washington. The Washington Flag is the only U.S. state flag that displays an American presidential portrait. It is also required by state law that the emblem be stitched on both sides of a given flag and if a company wishes to reproduce it, they are supposed to send two versions to the secretary of Washington State to garner approval. Because of the emblem requirements, this flag is the most costly to produce out of all the U.S. state flags.

Oregon: The Oregon state flag is unique because it has two different graphics on each side of its state flag design. The Oregon state flag was adopted in 1925 and uses a simple color scheme of gold and navy blue. The obverse side of the Ohio flag, which is the primary side, shows the seal of Oregon with the words "State of Oregon" above and the year of Ohio's statehood "1859" below. The reverse side of the flag holds a graphic of a beaver, the Oregon state animal. Although the construction of a two sided flag is more complex and more expensive, the Ohio flag's design maintains its popularity.

This is merely a sampling of the interesting history of some of our beautiful and symbolic U.S. flags. Hopefully this will inspire you to learn more about your own state flag's history and if you are flying your American flag with pride, it might be time to invest in your own U.S. state flag to show your civic pride!