You may know the story of Betsy Ross, even though historians debate whether she was really the one to sew the first American flag as we know it today. What’s certain is that Ross was an accomplished seamstress who created a number of flags both during and following the American Revolution. She is representative of the numerous women who played vital roles in producing and supplying flags throughout America’s history.
When Utah finally became a state in 1896, after being a territory for almost 50 years, the Utah Jubilee Committee proposed the creation of a “mammoth” American flag to mark the momentous occasion. This was not the first time they had been asked to perform such a task, as other large “mammoth” U.S. flags had been created for previous July 4th and 24th holiday celebrations and were viewed as a mainstay of such celebrations.
A group of women, including employees of the ZCMI clothing factory, were asked to construct this enormous statehood flag with the special addition of an enlarged 45th star to symbolize the incorporation of Utah as the newest state. The Utah Jubilee Committee received a donation to purchase the materials and numerous seamstresses volunteered a full 40-hour week to assemble the flag, which initially hung from the ceiling of the LDS Tabernacle and then eventually on the side of the Salt Lake Temple.
Preserving the flag proved to be very challenging, thus nothing other than documents and photos of the flag remain. But the women who constructed the flag created a key piece of Utah’s statehood celebration, and the flag was considered to be possibly the largest one ever created at the time.
It wasn’t until the Civil War that flags became more than just a military symbol and became synonymous with a cause or an identity. The advent of mass-produced flags also helped to increase their popularity, with many states beginning to adopt their own individual flags inspired by the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and other subsequent national events.
Utah’s first state flag was originally designed in 1903 by the Utah State Society Daughters of the Revolution for the governor to bring to the St. Louis World’s Fair. The society raised their own funds to hire ZCMI employee and Swedish immigrant Agnes Teudt to embroider the design onto blue silk spun by other Utah women. This original flag was thought to have been lost to history, until it was rediscovered in the Utah Historical Society’s collections in 2010. Though showing signs of age in places, Teudt’s embroidery remained perfectly intact, preserving a key piece of Utah’s history that will soon be on display in the new Museum of Utah opening in 2026.
Civic Task: In 2023, Utah officially adopted a new state flag design. As part of the process, the public submitted their ideas for consideration. The Utah Historical Society gathered and has archived more than 5,000 submissions. For this Civic Task, take a look through the collection entitled “More Than A Flag.” Consider what personal significance do flags as symbols carry for you, and how do they shape our collective civic identity?
Please note: Content from outside organizations may not reflect the views of the Utah Historical Society.
Sources:
- John M. Hartvigsen; Utah’s Mammoth Statehood Flag. Utah Historical Quarterly 1 July 2011; 79 (3): 250–263. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/45063294, 252.
- Michael De Groote, “Utah’s First State Flag Finally Found,” Deseret News, January 5, 2024, https://www.deseret.com/2010/3/8/20100806/utah-s-first-state-flag-finally-found/#flag-historians-enthusiasts-and-curators-from-the-state-capitol-fort-douglas-museum-and-an-lds-church-history-representative-gather-around-utahs-first-state-flag.
- “More than a Flag: Utah State Flag Redesign: Department of Cultural and Community Engagement: J. Willard Marriott Digital Library,” More Than A Flag: Utah State Flag Redesign | Department of Cultural and Community Engagement | J. Willard Marriott Digital Library, accessed March 30, 2025, https://collections.lib.utah.edu/search?facet_setname_s=dha_mtaf.