Flag of Houston facts for kids
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| Proportion | 1:2 (official) 17:30 (usage) |
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| Adopted | 1915 |
| Design | A blue field with the Seal of Houston in the center of a 5-pointed star in the middle of the flag |
| Designed by | W. A. Wheeldon |
The flag of Houston is the official flag for the city of Houston, Texas. It features a large white five-pointed star on a blue background. Inside the star, you can see the city's special seal. This important flag was officially adopted in 1915.
Contents
How the Houston Flag Was Chosen
In 1915, the mayor of Houston, Ben Campbell, decided the city needed its own flag. He started a contest to ask people to submit their ideas. One interesting idea suggested Houston as a "meteor" flying through a sky of red and blue.
The winning design came from Major W.A. Wheeldon, who was from Britain. The design was drawn by Mrs. J.W. Greenhill Jr. Originally, it showed the family symbol of Sam Houston. However, the judges chose to use the city's official seal instead. They felt the city seal looked more towards the future.
What's on the Flag? The City Seal!
The city seal was adopted in 1840. This was not long after the city was founded by Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen. The seal shows a 4-4-0 locomotive, which is a type of steam train. This is interesting because no railroad had reached Houston yet when the seal was made!
According to John Lienhard, a professor from the University of Houston, the 4-4-0 locomotive was very new at that time. It had only been around for about three years when it was put on Houston's seal. This shows how forward-thinking the city was.
Why Isn't the Houston Flag More Popular?
You might not see Houston's flag displayed very often. This is because it doesn't follow some basic rules for flag design. These rules are suggested by the North American Vexillological Association.
They say good flags should be:
- Simple and easy to recognize.
- Use symbols that mean something important.
- Have only two or three main colors.
- Avoid words or complicated seals.
- Be unique or clearly connected to what they represent.
Houston's flag uses the city seal, which is quite detailed. This makes it harder to see and understand from a distance.
A Special Discovery: The Original Flag
In 2015, something amazing happened. An original flag from 1915, which was a prototype for the official flag, was found! It was discovered in a resident's garage. This special flag was then given to a group called Preservation Houston.
The group worked hard to raise money to restore the flag. They collected $3,500 for the restoration. The North American Vexillological Association also helped by giving a $500 grant. The flag was sent to New Orleans to be carefully restored. Today, this historic flag hangs proudly in the Julia Ideson Library in downtown Houston.
