Most state flags follow a familiar pattern: a rectangle, often with a seal in the middle. Then there's Ohio. Its flag has a forked, swallowtail shape that looks more like something a cavalry soldier would carry than a banner over a statehouse. So how did Ohio end up with such an unusual flag?
Here's the answer. Ohio's flag was designed in 1901 by Cleveland architect John Eisenmann for the Pan-American Exposition, a world's fair in Buffalo, New York. He described it as a swallow-tailed flag shaped like a cavalry guidon. Ohio made it official in 1902, and it remains the only non-rectangular U.S. state flag.
A Century Without a Flag
Surprisingly, Ohio went nearly a hundred years after statehood without an official flag. Lawmakers tried in 1859, but they kept arguing over the design, and the effort stalled.
Then came the Pan-American Exposition. Eisenmann was hired to design Ohio's exhibition hall, and he created a distinctive flag to fly over each corner of the building. He even received a U.S. design patent for it. In 1902, a state lawmaker introduced a bill making it Ohio's official flag, and it became law on May 9. It was the 20th U.S. state flag or banner.
Every Piece Has a Meaning
Ohio law spells out the symbolism. The three red and two white stripes stand for the state's roads and waterways. The blue triangle represents its hills and valleys.
There are 17 stars in all. Thirteen are grouped around the circle to represent the original states. Four more sit at the point of the triangle, adding up to 17, because Ohio was the 17th state admitted to the Union.
The red disc inside a white ring forms a letter O for Ohio. It's also meant to suggest a buckeye nut, a nod to Ohio's nickname as the Buckeye State.
Not Everyone Loved It at First
When it was new, the design puzzled people. Newspapers compared it to the flags of Cuba and the Philippines, and some poked fun at the red circle for resembling the sun on Japan's flag. For a while, the flag was rarely flown. In 1903, it was reported that the governor was the only state politician displaying it.
Over the next century, though, Ohioans came to love it. Today it flies over homes and businesses, and it has inspired logos for teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ohio State University Marching Band's percussion section even flies it at football games, and several Ohio cities and counties have adopted swallowtail flags of their own.
A Flag With Its Own Rules
Since 2002, the flag has been officially called a burgee, a word usually used for flags on boats. That same year, for the flag's 100th birthday, Ohio adopted an official salute: "I salute the flag of the state of Ohio and pledge to the Buckeye State respect and loyalty."
Ohio even has an official way to fold it, created by a Boy Scout named Alex Weinstock for his Eagle Scout project and signed into law in 2005. The steps add up to 17 folds, honoring Ohio's place as the 17th state. One flag seller in Arkansas called the procedure "quite a challenge."
So the next time you spot that swallowtail flag snapping in the breeze, you'll know it's more than just a quirky shape. It's a little map of Ohio's history, folded into every point.
