Flagstaff Flag - Raising

Flagstaff Flag - Raising. . Historians generally agree that Flagstaff derives its name from a flag-raising ceremony held July 4, 1876, by a group of settlers from New England who were camped within sight of this historic monument., In February and May of 1876, two groups of settlers left Boston and traveled westward, intent upon establishing a colony in the valley of the Colorado Chiquito (Little Colorado River) near present-day Winslow. Known as the first and second Boston parties, these colonist had been lured by second-hand tales of the fertile farm lands, healthful climate, and vast mineral resources of northern Arizona. Upon arriving at the Little Colorado River, the first Boston party found the area already occupied by Mormon settlers from Utah. Disappointed by the presence of the Mormons and disillusioned by the lack of farming land, the scarcity of water, and the harsh climate, the settlers continued westward toward the San Francisco Peaks and Prescott., By early July, the second Boston party had reached present-day Flagstaff and was camped near this monument, an area then known as the McMillan Ranch. In observance of the nation's Centennial, the settlers cut down a tall pine tree, trimmed off its branches, attached a flag, and raised the flagstaff. On the morning of July 4, 1876, an appropriate patriotic ceremony was held., The flag carried by the second Boston party was packed in anticipation of the need to celebrate the nation's Centennial somewhere in the frontier wilderness. The United States flag in 1876 had thirty-seven stars laid out in rows numbering 8-7-7-7-8. Before the standardization that came with mass production, American flags varied greatly in size, fabric, color shades, and in the arrangement of the stars. One type of flag in use in 1876 is illustrated below: