The Friends of the Ferguson Home is holding a National Flag Day ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 15, at the T.B. Ferguson Home Museum. It is important to recognize our United State flag as an emblem of democracy, freedoms, and leadership, all traits promoted by Oklahoma Territorial Governor T.B. Ferguson and First Lady Elva Ferguson.
According to an article in Wikipedia, “Flag Day is a holiday celebrated on June 14 in the United States. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The Flag Resolution stated 'That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. June 14, 1777 was also the birthday of the United States Army.
“In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day. On August 3, 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holiday.”
Bertram C. Cigrand is generally recognized as the Father of Flag Day. He conducted the first Flag Day observance in the school where he taught in Waubeka, Wisconsin in 1885. He gave over 2000 speeches on the flag and patriotism. One celebration in Chicago involved some 300,000 school children.
During National Flag Week, June 9-15, the president’s proclamation 'urging the people to observe the day as the anniversary of the adoption on June 14, 1777.”
When T.B. Ferguson served as Governor of the Territory of Oklahoma, the United States Flag had 45 stars. Three presidents served under this flag, including Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) who appointed T.B. Ferguson as governor of the Territory of Oklahoma in 1901. T.B. Ferguson worked tirelessly to gain Oklahoma admission to the Union. The 46-star flag representing the addition of Oklahoma flew from 1908 to 1912 when New Mexico and Arizona were added to the Union https:// www. usflagdepot. com/store/page8.ht ml .
As far as I know, there was no Oklahoma Territorial Flag during the 16-year existence of Oklahoma Territory (1890-1907). The first Oklahoma flag was red with a 46 in the star.
Anyone with historic flags would be welcome to display them at the museum. Contact Roy Espy, site director at the Ferguson Home Museum through the T.B. Ferguson Home Facebook page.