![[County flag]](../images/u/us-wv-ml.gif)
image by David Sigley, 27 November 2022based on photo
Last modified: 2023-06-30 by rick wyatt
Keywords: marshall county | west virginia |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
image by David Sigley, 27 November 2022
based on photo
- indicates flag is known.
- indicates it is reported that there is no known flag.
Municipal flags in Marshall County:
See also:
The flag of Marshall County was adopted on November 2, 1974, and it became
the first county to officially adopt a County Flag. The flag is a white field
with a four-inch dark blue border. At the top of the flag is a yellow banner
that slightly curves downwards. The text "COUNTY OF MARSHALL" is inscribed on
the banner. Under the banner and in the main centerpiece of the flag is a device
that looks like an the mix of a tiltable mirror stand, and a coat of arms. It is
made of a golden oval with a thick white border, both use a black outline. Two
golden black outlined pillars emerge from the oval, with both pillars containing
a word. The left pillars says "PRIDE", while the pillar on the right says
"PROGRESS". They connect the oval to a white banner with black outlines. The
middle of the banner contains the name of John Marshall. Both ends of the banner
includes a black star. The center piece of the whole device is John Marshall
himself. The date "1835" is split into two by the device. below the device and
at the bottom of the flag is the state name. At the bottom hoist side of the
flag is a registered rights symbol with "1975 Andrew Steeles".
I
contacted the Marshall County Historical Society about the flag, as they had one
in their collection. They stated that their flag had 1973 on it, though they
were unsure if it was an adoption date or not. About a couple months later, they
sent me a document which dated from 2001 which explains the history of the
Marshall County flag, I have translated the document from picture to text with
the following message:
HISTORY OF THE MARSHALL COUNTY FLAG
August
27, 2001
Interest in an official Marshall County Flag originated during
the ground breaking ceremony for the new Marshall County Court House on
Saturday, August 25, 1973.
Marshall County Commissioner, Paul Garvin
approached Andy Steele, the presiding president of the Marshall County Planning
Commission and requested that he explore designs for a County Flag. The entire
County Commission later made it a formal request and Andrew Steele began
researching the history of Marshall County, particularly how it archived it's
name. From this research a design was drafted and presented to the County
Commission. The Commission recommended changing the heading of the design from
MARSHALL COUNTY to read instead COUNTY OF MARSHALL. The design was then approved
by the entire County Commission with the recommendation that it have the same
four-inch blue border as that of the West Virginia State Flag.
The County
Court requested that the County Planning Commission procure bids for the
manufacture of a flag for an official presentation at the dedication of the new
Marshall County court House on Saturday, November 2, 1974. The Planning
Commission reported back to the County Court with a list of bids, the lowest of
which was $560.00. The County Court decided that this was not within their
budget at that time and a general feeling throughout the courthouse was that the
flag would not be available for the official presentation of the new Court
House. With everyone in despair over the prospects of missing a golden
opportunity to not only become the first county in West Virginia to have it's
own County Flag, but to make it official at the public ceremony, Andrew Steele,
President of the Planning Commission stepped forward and made the statement
that, "There would be a flag if he had to make it himself".
Commission
John Myers approved the purchase of limited supplies of silk and paint for Andy
Steele to begin the Construction of a handmade flag. Mr. Steele hand drew the
face of John Marshall and the lettering necessary on the flag and his wife
Georgia Steele hand stitched the panels together and added a blue border, The
Steeles, Andre and Georgia worked together for two months to hand manufacture
the very first Marshall County Flag.
The flag was introduced for the
first time at the opening ceremony for the new courthouse dedication on November
2, 1974. The ceremony was presided over by County Commissioner, John Myers with
great honor being the then Governor of West Virginia, Arch A. Moore Jr. who was
a native of Marshall County. At the conclusion of the dedication, on Executive
Session of the County Court was held in the second office off the Main Lobby and
Commissioner Charles Helinski make a motion that the flag be adopted as the
official County Flag and the hand made prototype be hung in the main Lobby for a
period of thirty days for public viewing. It was further moved that after the
thirty day viewing period, a display case would be constructed and that the flag
be on permanent display in the Courthouse Lobby. Mr Steele later Hand
Manufactured the case now on display.
Links:
County flag at the
Marshall County Historical Society:
https://www.facebook.com/MarshallCountyHistoryMuseum/photos/893685198694512
County flag in the County Commission:
https://marshallcountywv.gov/gov/agencies/county-commission
David Sigley, 27 November 2022
