One of the most favorite items we have on the ranch is this American flag from 1876, the year that Colorado was admitted to the Union. Here’s the story of this flag.
HAND SEWN 38 STAR ANTIQUE FLAG |
COLORADO STATEHOOD | CIRCA 1876-1890
Date of Origin: 1876-1889
Number of Stars: 38
Associated War: The Indian Wars (1860-1890)
Associated Presidents: Five presidents served under this flag: Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881), James A. Garfield (1881), Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885), Grover Cleveland (1885-1889), and Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893).
Condition: The blue stripe has significant fading, and the red stripe, and white stripe have minimal staining throughout. Reinforced fly end. Several small holes scattered throughout, patching and sewn tears in some areas. There are moth holes and bullet holes along with some black stains on it. It Is all hand made with some in period repairs.
Size: 132 inches by 94 inches (11 feet by seven feet nine inches)
This 38 star flag flew for thirteen years, until July 4th, 1890. The thirty-eight stars represent the inclusion of Colorado to the Union. Colorado was admitted on August 1st, 1876, the flag becoming official on July 4th, 1877. Colorado became known as the “Centennial State,” a result of becoming official just twenty-eight days after the centennial.
It is made with piece-and-sewn construction. the stars of the flag, which are single-applique, dance freely on the canton and are stretched and asymmetrical in shape.
Its stars are arranged in a visually interesting random star pattern. The stars are canted in various directions, single-appliquéd and configured in what is known as a “notched” pattern, in which two spaces were left open along the hoist end in anticipation of the addition of two more Western Territories.‑ leaving room for the addition of stars over the life of the flag. The latter 19th century was a time of when much of the land in and about the Continental Divide was formalized into states, and there was continual speculation about which ones would be accepted next, and with what boundaries. The name “Dorewus” is penciled along the binding, near the bottom. This represents the name of a former owner and it was common to mark flags in this fashion during the 19th century. Nothing further is known about the flag’s specific history.
The sleeve hoist still holds the flag’s original rope secured with a rusted safety pin.
A striking original 38-star United States flag (38th star for Colorado’s statehood): dating circa 1877, The dark blue canton has a randon star pattern. As the stars were cut and sewn by hand, there is a slight variation on both star size and the spacing between stars. A masterpiece of Centennial-era flag making, the flag design is completed with 13 alternating red and white stripes, to represent the 13 original colonies. The 38 stars are all hand-cut and hand-sewn in a random arrangement likely by an expert seamstress (manufactured flags during this period were made via a press-dyed type method, not piece-and-sewn). The red is a bunt cotton, the white is a smooth cotton, the blue is wool that has been pieced with treadle stitching. Believed to have flown from a fort or Navy ship.
The stripes of this flag are made of wool bunting and are joined with hand stitching. The stars are made of cotton and single appliquéd. The canton is made of a single piece of wool bunting and is joined to the stripes with hand stitching. The hoist strip is made of sailcloth canvas and is joined to the canton and stripes with hand stitching. The hoist strip does not include any grommets.
The most interesting feature of this flag is the star arrangement, In addition to the royal blue canton and rich red stripes, it features an extremely rare random star pattern with some stars canted to both the 11:00 and 1:00 positions.. The stars in the other rows are canted haphazardly, which adds significantly to this flag’s folksy appeal.
History:
The thirty-eight star flag represents the inclusion of Colorado to the Union. Colorado was admitted on August 1st, 1876 and this flag became official on July 4th, 1877. Colorado became known as the “Centennial State,” a result of becoming official just twenty-eight days after the centennial. The official star count for US flags in 1876 was the thirty-seven star flag. However, it was common for flag makers to produce anticipatory flags in advance of their official date, making the thirty-eight star flag—and for historical reasons, the thirteen star flag—the most common flags flown during the centennial celebrations of 1876. The 38th star was added for the admission of Colorado, which occurred on August 1, 1876. Per the Third Flag Act of 1818, stars were not officially added until the 4th of July following a state’s addition. For this reason, 37 was the official star count for the American flag in 1876 and the 38 star flag became the official United States flag on July 4th, 1877.
This flag dates to 1876-1890, when Colorado joined the Union as the 38th state. The 38th star was added to the flag with the admission of Colorado to the Union on August 1, 1876. Per the Third Flag Act of 1818, stars were not officially added until the 4th of July following a state’s addition to the Union. For this reason, 37 was the official star count for the American flag in 1876 and the 38 star flag became the official United States flag on July 4th, 1877.
While the flag was not officially changed to carry 38 stars until 1877, the star count was widely used on flags a year earlier in commemoration of the centennial celebration.
The addition of Colorado to the Union occurred on August 1, 1876. Per the Third Flag Act of 1818, stars were not officially added to the flag until the 4th of July following a state’s admittance to the Union. For this reason, the 37-star flag was the official American flag in 1876, and the 38-star flag became the official flag on July 4th, 1877. However, by 1876 the country was preparing for its first centennial celebration, honoring 100 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Few regulations on the production of American flags meant that even flags of the same star count could look entirely different from one another. Other 38-star flags were produced with patterns such as double medallions, variations with a great star at the center, whimsical rows, and more. The production of 38-star flags was experimental, and without strict
Single-appliquéd Stars — A type of star application where only one piece of fabric is used to make a star that is visible on both sides of the flag. On a stars and stripes, this is accomplished by making star-shaped cutouts in the blue material. A white star is then appliquéd over top of the star shaped hole. On the reverse side, the rough cut fabric is rolled over and hemmed so that the white star shows neatly through the hole. Single appliquéd stars are generally preferred by collectors, both due to their rarity and the interesting look that this type of sewing creates.governmental regulations, flagmakers and home seamstresses alike were at liberty to test out the configuration of the stars
Beginning in the 1890s, medallion patterns became less common, and linear arrangements became the norm. Why this occurred is unclear, as flag makers had the freedom to place the stars however they liked until 1912.
The thirty-eight star flag represents the inclusion of Colorado to the Union. Colorado was admitted on August 1st, 1876 and this flag became official on July 4th, 1877. Presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harrison all served under this flag. Colorado became known as the “Centennial State,” a result of becoming official just twenty-eight days after the centennial. The official star count for US flags in 1876 was the thirty-seven star flag. However, it was common for flag makers to produce anticipatory flags in advance of their official date, making the thirty-eight star flag—and for historical reasons, the thirteen star flag—the most common flags flown during the centennial celebrations of 1876.
The thirty-eight star flag was official until July 4th, 1890, the time at which the forty-three star flag became official and began to represent the inclusion of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, and Idaho to the Union.
There is a sailcloth canvas binding along the hoist.
Random Star Configuration — A configuration of stars without rows, columns, or any apparent pattern.
The stars are arranged in what is known as a “notched” pattern, in which two spaces were left open along the hoist end, in the first and last rows, in anticipation that two more Western Territories would soon join the Union.
The sleeve hoist still holds the flag’s original rope.
The canvas sleeve of the hoist of this 38 star flag is threaded with a rope that is secured with a rusted safety pin.
