The municipal flag of Cleveland serves as the representative banner of the city of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The flag was designed by local art school graduate Susan Hepburn, and was officially adopted as the municipal banner by Cleveland City Council on October 21, 1895, with the ordinance on the flag adopted on February 24, 1896.

History

The idea for a Cleveland flag was first proposed by

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

journalist Julian Ralph in an interview at the

Hollenden Hotel The Hollenden Hotel was a luxury hotel in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It opened in 1885, was significantly upgraded in 1926 and demolished in 1962. During the hotel's existence, it contained 1,000 rooms, 100 private baths, a lavish interior, elect ...

with '' Plain Dealer'' reporter William Stokely Lloydon on April 24, 1895. Elaborating on the idea, Ralph stated: The proposal was positively received by both city leaders and the public, and it sparked a contest to design a new flag in advance of the city's centenary sponsored by ''The Plain Dealer''. The selection committee was chaired by Ohio artist Archibald Willard. More than two dozen entries were submitted, including proposals with municipal seals featuring the

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

-like goddess of liberty in classical Greek dress accompanied by Latin mottos. The contest winner was Susan Hepburn, an 18-year-old art school graduate and a descendant of settlers of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The selection committee praised her design for its "power and simplicity." Robert Beach, the ''Plain Dealer'' reporter who delivered the prize to Hepburn, later became her husband. On October 21, the flag was approved by Cleveland City Council. The city's flag committee later resolved to add a municipal motto to the design on October 25. Although the Latin motto "Major et Melior" (''Greater and Better'') was originally favored by city leaders, Mayor

Robert McKisson Robert Erastus McKisson (January 30, 1863 – October 14, 1915) was an American politician of the Republican party and served as the 33rd mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, from 1895 to 1898. McKisson first arrived in Cleveland with his family in the ...

instead advocated the English motto "Unity and Progress", which eventually became "Progress and Prosperity". Some Clevelanders opposed the adoption of any municipal flag, fearing that it would compete with the

flag of the United States The national flag of the United States, United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rect ...

. Despite these objections, an ordinance was put in place on the banner on February 24, 1896, the year in which Cleveland celebrated its centennial. The adoption of the Cleveland flag inspired Cincinnati to adopt a flag of its own.

Design and symbolism

Cleveland's municipal charter, adopted in 1913, describes the flag as follows: Both the colors and the use of the American shield represent patriotism. 1796 is the year in which Cleveland was founded by General Moses Cleaveland. The anvil, hammer, and wheel represent industry and manufacturing, while the anchor, windlass (alternatively, capstan), and oars represent the city's status as a major port on the Great Lakes. The municipal motto, "Progress and Prosperity", refers to the rapid growth that Cleveland experienced in the period of the flag's adoption.

References

Citations

External links

Municipal Code of Cleveland (sections pertaining to Municipal Flag)
{{Flags of cities in the United States Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland 1895 establishments in Ohio