WCHS seeks information about long-hidden flag

As America nears its 250th birthday, staff at the Waseca County Historical Society (WCHS)  would like to reveal a very special, and very valuable find, a 48-Star U.S. Garrison Flag that came under their care after a surprise discovery last year. 

 

Executive Director Amy Danielson relates,  "Last summer, Brian Harguth and Dale Groskreutz discovered it at the Waseca Fairgrounds inside the Hodgson Hall log cabin, tucked neatly under the roof eave, wrapped in a tube and covered in an old black waxed fabric."   It is, of course, considered disrespectful to let the American flag touch the ground. Since laying it out on the ground to be measured wasn’t an option, said Danielson, “We unrolled it a little at a time, and measured it bit by bit. It came out to approximately 19 by 32 feet—consistent with the proportions of a standard U.S. garrison flag."

 

A garrison flag is the largest standard flag size flown by the U.S. Army, typically used at military installations for holidays, ceremonies, and significant public display.

 

The 48-star design was flown in America from 1912-1959. In that time this flag could have seen three wars, World War I: 1917-1918; WWII: 1941-1945; and the Korean War: 1950-1953. The design was discontinued in 1959 with the addition of Alaska as a state, then was replaced again in 1960 with the addition of Hawaii. In 2008, the 1960, 50-star version was given a standard size of 20 by 38 feet, exceeding the size of the 48-star version and becoming the longest flag flying, a title it still holds today.

 

Danielson added, “We assume it’s from the 1940s, but since we haven’t located where it’s from or who put it there, we just aren't sure. We are hoping someone might read about it and provide us with more information. So far, we’ve contacted the schools, the county, the city, the VFW and the Legion and even the Waseca Fair board and found nothing.” Both the large size and, in this case, the age of the fabric make it impractical to consider flying the flag, but it could be displayed indoors.

 

Said Danielson, “The flag itself is in very good condition, made from cotton bunting, it has been preserved remarkably well, some minor staining but no structural damage. We believe the stars were hand-sewn and the stripes machine-sewn.”

 

Although there is no official number of how many garrison flags there are, there are in the United States close to 500 military installations, and the majority of them have the proper flag poles or locations to fly them, so each installation should have at least one at any given time. The United States is also operating 128 overseas military bases in 61 different countries, and each of them should be equipped with a garrison flag as well. The closest military base to Waseca would be the Minneapolis–Saint Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, about 70 miles north.

 

Currently, a brand-new garrison flag can be purchased online for around $1,100, said Danielson, “ It could be significantly more valuable if its history and provenance are confirmed. We are considering its sale to help offset museum costs, with the hope that it would ultimately be placed with an organization equipped to properly preserve and display this important artifact.” In the meantime, if anyone knows anything about a garrison flag that was hidden for decades under the eaves of the log cabin in Hodgson Hall, please contact Amy Danielson, Executive Director for the Waseca County Historical Society at 507-835-7700.