Love it or hate it, here's everything you need to know about Wisconsin's state flag (2024)

In mid-May, Minnesota raised its new flag over the state Capitol, featuring the North Star for Minnesota's motto, dark blue to represent the state's shape and light blue for its many lakes.

That may have left some Wisconsinites wondering: Is it time we redesign our state flag?

In our very unscientific survey of more than 200 Journal Sentinel readers, about 45% said it should be changed. Just under half said the flag is fine as it is, and 5% weren't sure. The results were tight, as are most polls in Wisconsin.

To vexillologists — people who study flags — and some readers, Wisconsin's flag is too cluttered, and the use of lettering goes against good design standards. Others have the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality or believe lawmakers already have enough to argue over.

As Wisconsin celebrates its 176th year of statehood, and its 161st year with an official flag, here's what to know about the history, symbolism and redesign efforts behind the state flag:

When did Wisconsin get a state flag, and why?

Wisconsin didn't get a state flag until 1863, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. Civil War regiments wanted one design to unite them, rather than flying a variety of flags. A five-member committee was tasked with creating "a description for a proper state flag."

Wisconsin was one of the earlier states to adopt a flag, according to a 1980 Wisconsin Magazine of History article. By 1876, eight of the then-38 states had official emblems. Only three of them, including Wisconsin, used their state's coat of arms.

Why is Wisconsin's state flag blue?

Why Wisconsin's flag is blue is also connected to the Civil War. Most, but not all, of the 20 state flags with blue backgrounds are northern states.

That derived from regiment or militia flags, explained Ted Kaye, secretary of the North American VexillologicalAssociation. Kaye was involved in Minnesota's redesign, and Milwaukee's city flag redesign a few years ago.

Who are the two men on Wisconsin's state flag? And what is Wisconsin's coat of arms?

The two men on the state flag are a sailor holding a coil of rope and yeoman resting on a pick, according to the Wisconsin Blue Book. They represent labor on water and land in Wisconsin.

The two men, and the rest of the symbols, are part of Wisconsin's coat of arms. Wisconsin's flag is one of about 20 state flags that use the "seal on a bedsheet" design coined by vexillologists.

One argument against using the seal is that the design is indistinguishable from other flags at a distance, which is the fundamental purpose of a flag, Kaye said. The second argument is that using the seal creates a flag that represents the government, rather than the people of the state.

The flag's "principal feature, the coat of arms, is not even a creation of the Legislature, but of three leading citizens who acted independently in 1851," the Wisconsin Magazine of History notes.

Changing Wisconsin's flag wouldn't change the state's coat of arms, or the similarly designed great seal, Kaye pointed out.

What do the other symbols mean on Wisconsin's flag?

There are other symbols in the state's coat of arms that also appear on the state flag.

According to the Blue Book, the shield at the center is divided into four quarters with symbols that represent agriculture (a plow), mining (a pick and shovel), manufacturing (an arm and hammer) and navigation (an anchor).

At the center of that shield, a small shield and the E Pluribus Unum band around it "symbolize Wisconsin’s membership in and loyalty to the United States."

Under the shield is a horn of plenty that "represents prosperity and abundance" and a pyramid of 13 lead ingots (blocks or bars of metal) that "represents mineral wealth and the 13 original states."

Above the shield is a badger, the state animal and a nickname for Wisconsin's historic lead miners. The badger wasn't designated as the state animal until about a century after the seal was created.

More: Why is Wisconsin the Badger State — and do actual badgers live here?

Why does Wisconsin's flag say 'Forward'?

Above the badger is a banner that reads "Forward" — the state's motto, which was adopted in 1851. It reflects Wisconsin's "continuous drive to be a national leader," according to the state Historical Society.

Why does Wisconsin's flag say 1848?

The bottom of the flag says "1848" in white letters. That's the year Wisconsin became a state. The word "Wisconsin" is also in white letters at the top of the flag.

Those elements were added in 1979 to help distinguish Wisconsin's flag from other state flags. But that's not good flag design, Kaye said. Using lettering that isn't reversible means a thicker, more expensive flag, too.

"When you have to write the name of your place on your flag, then your symbolism has failed," Kaye said. "Can you imagine a country flag saying 'France' on it?"

More: Wisconsin just celebrated 175 years as a state. Here are some key historical facts you should know.

When did the Wisconsin flag get redesigned?

Adding those two elements in 1979 was the most recent redesign of the state flag. All flags made after May 1981 had to include the new design, per state law.

Before that, the flag was changed in 1913 to include Wisconsin's updated coat of arms. Lawmakers also formally added the flag to state law.

As the story goes, an assistant attorney general found the state had accidentally repealed the law that included the state flag in 1878. But the Wisconsin Magazine of History found that story is flawed, because the flag was created by resolution — which can't be repealed — rather than by statute.

Still, lawmakers wrote a long description of the flag into state law, including:

• Relative dimensions of 2 to 3, hoist to fly.
• A background of royal blue cloth.
• The state coat of arms, as described under s.1.07, in material of appropriate colors, applied on each side in the center of the field, of such size that, if placed in a circle whose diameter is equal to 50% of the hoist, those portions farthest from the center of the field would meet, but not cross, the boundary of the circle.
• Optional trim on the edges consisting of yellow knotted fringe.

Still, flags acquired by the state Historical Society typically didn't follow those regulations. By 1914, no manufacturers were making inexpensive flags for use in schools. The flag became more popular around the time of World War II.

In 1955, a state bill proposed a totally new design, but the legislation didn't succeed. People had felt the "flag was not distinctive, that it looked like too many other state flags, and, worst of all, that its symbols did not at first glance connote Wisconsin," according to the Wisconsin Magazine of History.

Could Wisconsin redesign its flag like other states?

Wisconsin's neighbor, Minnesota, is the latest state to redesign its flag and state seal, replacing one that drew criticism for its negative depiction of Native Americans. Utah unveiled a new flag last year, featuring a beehive and snowy mountains.

But there have been no formal efforts in recent memory by Wisconsin state lawmakers to revisit the state flag design.

More: Capturing the (paper towel) flag: an investigative report into Green Bay's coolest flag

More: 7 redesigned Wisconsin flags got an F in a survey of flag scholars and enthusiasts

Still, ideas for new state flags have been floated in Wisconsin, from Madison-based publication Isthmus in 2016 to Reddit threads. One humorous design featured a deer surrounded by orange construction barrels.

For those worried the seal's symbols could be lost if Wisconsin's flag is redesigned, Kaye pointed out the difference between symbols and symbolism. Choice of colors can be symbolic, he said, instead of using the state seal.

But some may prefer the seal.

"I am of the admittedly rare opinion that our flag is alright as it is, and that this flag reform movement is mostly a fad. I wouldn't mind a change to the flag that would retain the coat of arms, which I quite like, however," Jason from Milwaukee said in response to our survey.

Sophia Creary-De La Cruz got interested in changing the flag while working on a project as a senior last year at Logan High School in La Crosse. She has lived in both Wisconsin and Ohio, where people are much more impressed by the state's uniquely shaped flag. She'd like to see more diversity represented in Wisconsin's flag.

"Most people are kind of neutral about it, because it's a very neutral flag," she said. "Because they don't think about it, they don't see how it could be so much better and how it could be actually representative of our state."

Creary-De La Cruz added that another redesign will happen eventually, whether it's tomorrow or 50 years from now. It could give the state more publicity, there would be high demand for the outgoing design, and students and the public could get involved in submitting ideas, she said.

If Wisconsin lawmakers choose to redesign the flag, Kaye says, they should be aware that designing a new flag is the easy part. The politics are harder.

"The process is about 10% design, and 90% politics and public relations," he said. "I like to say that in every poorly designed flag, there's a good flag trying to get out. But in Wisconsin's case, I would start from scratch."