Ohio State Flag

History of Ohio State Flag:

• Adopted May 9, 1902
• The Ohio flag is the only US State flag to have a swallow-tail flag
  • A swallow-tail flag is a flag with a different shaped fly-end
  • The fly-end has a V-shape cut out in in so there are 2 points on the end of the flag
• The flag was designed in 1901 by John Eisenmann for the Pan-American Exposition 
• The flags design has three red and two white alternating horizontal stripes that represent the roads and waterways of the state
• There is a triangular blue field with 17 stars
  • 13 stars are in a circle around a red disc with a white outline of an ”O” for Ohio
  • The 13 stars represent the original 13 colonies 
  • There are 4 additional stars on the peak of the flag
  • These 4 stars represent Ohio being the 4th state after the original 13 colonies 
  • The 17 stars represent Ohio as the 17th state to join the US
• There was a flag proposed with the state seal before 1901 and it was denied
• In 2005 there was a folding procedure for the Ohio flag signed into law, it requires 2 people, here is the description: 
• “With the flag unfolded, fold the flag in half lengthwise so that the points of the flag are aligned. Fold the flag in half lengthwise a second time to form a long strip with the red disc facing the ground. Next, fold the pointed end back onto itself to form a rectangle. These steps entail three folds. Starting on the end formed by the fold of the pointed end back onto itself, fold two inches of the flag onto itself for a flag with a three-foot hoist and a five-foot fly, or another appropriate width of fold for a flag of a different size. Repeat the folds a total of fourteen times, alternating the folds in a fan-like manner. The result is a total of seventeen folds symbolizing that Ohio was the seventeenth state admitted to the Union. Finally, neatly and snugly wrap the remaining length of flag around the fan-folds to form a compact rectangle.”