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Flag of Milwaukee
The flag of Milwaukee was adopted by its Common Council in 1954.
The flag of Milwaukee is little-used around the city; the city only owns twenty flags which are displayed at various city-owned buildings. A 2004 survey by the North American Vexillological Association rated the Milwaukee flag 147th out of 150 flags of major American cities.
The flag displays symbols of Milwaukee on a medium blue background, with the city name below all the elements. In the center, a gear, representing industry, bears symbols of Milwaukee's identity and history. An Indian head, resembling the Milwaukee Braves logo at the time, represents Native American origins. The flag contains an image of another flag, this one red/white/red stripes with two stars. Identified as the Civil War battle flag of a Milwaukee regiment, it has also been suggested that this represents a service flag, although it lacks the red border. A lamp symbol in the upper right was once associated with the Milwaukee City Library. Below this is Milwaukee City Hall, representing government, which is flanked by abstract outlines of the Basilica of St. Josaphat to represent the city's churches, housing, a factory, the Milwaukee Arena, and the former County Stadium (demolished in 2001) along a straight shoreline with waves representing Lake Michigan. The golden barley stalk on the left represents Milwaukee's brewing history, and the red ship with water symbolizes Milwaukee's status as a port city, with the 1846 date of city incorporation from the merger with Byron Kilbourn's Kilbourntown and Solomon Juneau's Juneautown on the flag's right vertically.
Milwaukee has had a series of city flags, some official and some only proposed, both before and after the current design was adopted.
The first attempt to introduce a civic flag came in an 1897 Milwaukee Journal contest. The winning entry, designed by John Amberg, included an oak branch with the motto "Steady Progress" over a cream-colored field. Mr. Amberg was awarded the first prize of $15. The design was praised by then-mayor William C. Rauschenberger, who lost reelection shortly thereafter. The flag was never officially adopted.
In 1909, press accounts described "the municipal flag of Milwaukee" as being blue with a red circle and white "M", possibly related to the red-circle iconography of the city's "Milwaukee: a Bright Spot" advertising campaign of the early 1900s.
This flag appears to have fallen out of favor shortly thereafter; in 1917, Alderman Frederick C. Bogk called for commissioning a city flag as part of an ambitious plan for Milwaukee's growth, along with expanding the harbor, investing in infrastructure, preserving residential districts, and annexing the innermost suburbs. The flag never came to fruition.
In 1927, a group of citizens created their own flag, a field of Alice blue with the city seal in golden orange in the center. The flag was submitted to the Common Council, adopted, and given to the Milwaukee Police Department for its exclusive use in parades. A dark blue/light blue version was created for the Fire Department. Over time, the police and fire department flags fell into disuse, and neither was used to represent the city as a whole.
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Flag of Milwaukee
The flag of Milwaukee was adopted by its Common Council in 1954.
The flag of Milwaukee is little-used around the city; the city only owns twenty flags which are displayed at various city-owned buildings. A 2004 survey by the North American Vexillological Association rated the Milwaukee flag 147th out of 150 flags of major American cities.
The flag displays symbols of Milwaukee on a medium blue background, with the city name below all the elements. In the center, a gear, representing industry, bears symbols of Milwaukee's identity and history. An Indian head, resembling the Milwaukee Braves logo at the time, represents Native American origins. The flag contains an image of another flag, this one red/white/red stripes with two stars. Identified as the Civil War battle flag of a Milwaukee regiment, it has also been suggested that this represents a service flag, although it lacks the red border. A lamp symbol in the upper right was once associated with the Milwaukee City Library. Below this is Milwaukee City Hall, representing government, which is flanked by abstract outlines of the Basilica of St. Josaphat to represent the city's churches, housing, a factory, the Milwaukee Arena, and the former County Stadium (demolished in 2001) along a straight shoreline with waves representing Lake Michigan. The golden barley stalk on the left represents Milwaukee's brewing history, and the red ship with water symbolizes Milwaukee's status as a port city, with the 1846 date of city incorporation from the merger with Byron Kilbourn's Kilbourntown and Solomon Juneau's Juneautown on the flag's right vertically.
Milwaukee has had a series of city flags, some official and some only proposed, both before and after the current design was adopted.
The first attempt to introduce a civic flag came in an 1897 Milwaukee Journal contest. The winning entry, designed by John Amberg, included an oak branch with the motto "Steady Progress" over a cream-colored field. Mr. Amberg was awarded the first prize of $15. The design was praised by then-mayor William C. Rauschenberger, who lost reelection shortly thereafter. The flag was never officially adopted.
In 1909, press accounts described "the municipal flag of Milwaukee" as being blue with a red circle and white "M", possibly related to the red-circle iconography of the city's "Milwaukee: a Bright Spot" advertising campaign of the early 1900s.
This flag appears to have fallen out of favor shortly thereafter; in 1917, Alderman Frederick C. Bogk called for commissioning a city flag as part of an ambitious plan for Milwaukee's growth, along with expanding the harbor, investing in infrastructure, preserving residential districts, and annexing the innermost suburbs. The flag never came to fruition.
In 1927, a group of citizens created their own flag, a field of Alice blue with the city seal in golden orange in the center. The flag was submitted to the Common Council, adopted, and given to the Milwaukee Police Department for its exclusive use in parades. A dark blue/light blue version was created for the Fire Department. Over time, the police and fire department flags fell into disuse, and neither was used to represent the city as a whole.