FLAG DAY. The 100th anniversary of the birth of the Afnerican flag was on 14 June 1877, the Continental Congress having adopted the stars and stripes on 14 June 1777, and the government at Washington requested that all public buildings float the flag in honor of the day. A like respect was shown for the natal day of the flag in New York, where all government and mu nicipal buildings hoisted the colors; Boston, too, observed the day by exercises and display of American flags; Philadelphia was equally eager to show reverence and at Independence Hall a program was given as also at the old home of Betsey Ross, where the first American flag was constructed. At the celebration in South Church, Boston, the centre of attraction was the original Fort McHenry flag which in spired Francis Scott Key to write the 'Star Spangled Banner.' The earliest effort to make the day into an annual and national holiday was when Dr. B. J. Cigrand wrote in the June isete of the Chicago Argus an article entitled, The Fourteenth of June," in which he advo cated a national holiday for every month of the year; while teaching school at Fredonia, Wis. in 1886, he directed attention to the memorable event and the pupils wrote essays on the theme, he having furnished the item from the Youths' Companion of 1883. In many magazine and newspaper articles he advocated recognition of this memorable day in the history of the Amer ican flag—calling it "Flag-Birth-Day," notably The Home, School and Nation (Vol. III, No. 1, 1891) • The Student (Vol. II, No. 7, page 396) ; History of United States Flag) (Vol. II, 1st ed., 1889) ; Our Country, June 1889. In an address to the Sons of America, June IN': he emphasized the good that would come from such a flag holiday, which resulted in the Sons organizing a corporation and publishing monthly a magazine, The American Standard, to inculcate reverence for American emblems, and he was its editor-in-chief. The outgrowth of this patriotic work was that his efforts along these lines brought much encouragement.
A similar flag respect was shown by George Balch, teacher in a free kindergarten of New York city, where he, on 14 June 1889, ob served the natal day of the U. S. flag. The Bet sey Ross home at Philadelphia, on 14 June 1890, likewise, celebrated the day; the New York Society, Sons of the Revolution, celebrated 14 June (to commemorate 14 June 1777) in 1891 and have ever since observed the day, by erecting a monument on some spot of historic interest. Col. George A. Cantine of Newburg, N. Y., a veteran of the Civil War, conducted a patriotic flag celebration 14 June 1891, and in 1893 Le Roy Van Horn, of Chicago, a veteran of the Civil War, conducted with the aid of G. A. R. men a flag drill and exercise at Douglas Park, Chicago, on the third Saturday of June, and in 1893 Le Roy Van Horn and Dr. B. J. Cigrand were brought together and the latter issued a newspaper call reading "All persons who desire to commemorate the birth day of the American flag, adopted 14 June 1777, are invited to meet at 8 P.M. in the assembly
hall of the Grand Pacific Hotel?' This was in 1894 and was the origin of the Illinois Cor poration known as The American Flag-Day Association, whose purpose was to celebrate the third Saturday in June and to conduct the exercises in the interest of public school chil dren. The officers were Gen. Theodore F. Brown, president ; Dr. B. J. Cigrand, secretary; Blanch E. Reynolds, vice-president (authoress of the "Living Flag') in which people formed the stripes and stars at the World's Fair 1893) ; Capt. E. R. Lewis, treasurer; LeRoy Van Horn, musical director. Annually this organization held celebrations in the five large parks of Chicago, but always on the third 'Saturday of June; but in 1896 when Dr. B. J. Cigrand be came the State president, he directed that the actual date, 14 June, be observed and on that date celebrated the day at Humboldt Park, Chicago. Because of the great success of the actual date celebration a national organization was effected of which Dr. Cigrand became the president and the directing spirit; and to this National Society, 36 governors, scores of mayors and five Presidents of the United States have sent delegates and approving credentials that "Flag Day" be observed on the actual date (not third Saturday of June) in all States of the Union. This National Flag Day Society, aside from having established the actual day (14 June), labors in the interest of. the entire population — all classes are invited — the pupils of the parochial, private and pub lic schools, academies, colleges, universities, clubs and industrial institutions to join annually and participate in Flag Day; and by this liberal policy exemplify the broad and tolerant spirit of the Flag itself, so well expressed by Presi dent Wilson at the Flag Day celebration at Washington, D. C., 14 June 1914: "This flag for the future is meant to stand for the just use of undisputed national power. No nation is ever going to doubt our power to assert its rights, and we should lay it to heart that no nation shall ever henceforth doubt our purpose to put it to the highest uses to which a great emblem of justice and gov ernment can be put.
"It is henceforth to stand for self-possession, for dignity, for the assertion of the right of one nation to serve the other nations of the world —an emblem that will not condescend to be used for purposes of aggression and self-ag grandizement; that is too great to be debased by selfishness; that has vindicated its right to be honored by all nations of the world and feared by none who do righteousness." On 14 June 1916 President Wilson issued the "Flag Day" proclamation calling for a nation-wide Flag Day observance on 14 June.