Flag of St facts for kids
The flag of St. Louis, Missouri is a special symbol for the city. It has a bright red background. On it, you'll see three thick, wavy lines. Two lines start from the top and bottom left corners, and one comes from the middle right side. These lines are blue and white.
Where these wavy lines meet, there's a yellow circle. Inside this circle, there's a blue fleur-de-lis. A fleur-de-lis is a symbol that looks like a lily flower.
A professor named Theodore Sizer from Yale University designed this flag. It became the official flag of St. Louis in 1964. In 2004, a group called the North American Vexillological Association asked people to vote on city flags in the United States. St. Louis's flag was voted the fifth best design!
History of the St. Louis Flag
The idea for an official city flag for St. Louis started in 1915. A man named Percival Chubb suggested it. The city decided to hold a contest to find the best design. The winner would get $100!
In 1916, a young artist named Edward A. Krondl won the contest. His design showed Saint Louis riding a horse on a blue background. It also had orange and white stripes. However, city leaders didn't like the colors or the use of the fleur-de-lis. So, they rejected Krondl's design and started a new contest.
Another man, A.P. Woehrle, won the second contest in May 1916. His flag had three stripes (red, white, and blue) and stars in each corner. It also had a shield in the middle with Saint Louis. Later, it was found out that Krondl had designed this flag too! He submitted it under his friend Woehrle's name because he wanted to win fairly. The city leaders approved this design. But it took a long time for it to become official. The flag was finally recognized by a city law in 1946.
Around the 1950s, many people in St. Louis wanted a new flag. Charles Nagel, an architect from St. Louis, thought the old design wasn't very good. He asked Theodore Sizer, the art history professor, to create a new one. Sizer visited St. Louis and designed the flag we see today. This design has been the official flag of St. Louis since 1964.
Flags with Similar Designs
Some other flags use symbols similar to those on the St. Louis flag.
- Flags with the Fleur-de-lis: The fleur-de-lis is a very old symbol. It is often seen on flags from places with French history. Examples include the Flag of New Orleans, the Flag of Acadiana, and the Flag of Quebec. The fleur-de-lis is also used in many family symbols and old coats of arms. It can represent religion, politics, or art, especially in French history.
- Flags with Wavy Lines: Wavy lines can represent water or movement. The Flag of the West Indies Federation is another example of a flag that uses wavy lines in its design.
