The 46th Star

Plus, a reminder to vote on March 5th and a look at what's in the news.

The original state flag is flying high at the Capitol as part of the Capitol Centennial, June 19, 2017 - Gov. Mary Fallin (Twitter)

The 46th Star

Even though Oklahoma gained statehood on November 16, 1907, it wasn’t until February 27, 1908 (1), that Oklahoma’s star was officially added to the United States of America’s flag. This 46-star flag flew over our country for four years, from July 4, 1908, to July 3, 1912.

Raising 46 Star Flag on Campus, July 4, 1908 - Ames History Museum

Oklahoma’s 46 Star

Did you know the 46-star USA flag wasn’t the only 46-star flag to fly over Oklahoma?

Believe it or not, Oklahoma didn’t adopt a state flag until 1911. No, it wasn’t the blue one you see today. Oklahoma’s first flag was a red banner with a five-pointed white star in its center, and in the center of the star was a blue “46”. This red “46” star flag flew over Oklahoma from 1911 to 1925.

P.M.G. New and Leon H. Moore with Oklahoma state flag, August 8, 1924 - Library of Congress

Red Scare and Blue Skies

This magnificently unique flag would be replaced in 1924 because of a red scare. In the 1920s, opposition to communism was on the rise in America. The color red and red flags were being associated with communism. So, this led to a contest to replace Oklahoma’s flag, and the design by Louise Fluke of Shawnee, Oklahoma, was selected.

The new flag had a sky-blue banner with an Osage shield in its center. The shield was round with six crosses on it. Hanging from the shield are seven feathers. Crossing the shield are a peace pipe and an olive branch.

Flag Donated to State by Designer's Family, April 7, 2005 - Oklahoma Sentate

This flag would fly over Oklahoma until 1941, when someone came up with the idea to modify the design by adding the word “Oklahoma” on the bottom of it. I have no idea why; something to promote literacy, maybe.

Standardization

In 2006, there would be another slight modification to standardize the colors and shapes of the flag by law. This would be the flag you’ll see flying over Oklahoma today.

Oklahoma’s Current and Past State Flags

Side note

(1) For years, the February 27, 1908, date has been shared on various “This Day in History” websites as to when the 46th star was added. However, I’m having difficulty finding documentation on that. Officially, as with all new U.S. flags, the flag began flying on July 4th.

A 46 Star U.S. Flag

I did find a few articles in The Oklahoman in March 1908 that mention a 46-star flag. A 46-star U.S. Flag was being displayed in the state then. In May 1908, Oklahoma seamstresses were organized to make some 46-star flags to fly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the official flag ceremony on July 1908.

• The Oklahoman, March 04, 1908, Page 1, "Scrap for Flag with 46th Star"

• The Oklahoman, March 11, 1908, Page 7, "Ferris Wants State to Replvey The Flag"

• The Oklahoman, March 17, 1908, Page 8, "Flag Design Adopted"

• The Oklahoman, July 05, 1908, Page 13, "Oklahoma Star on Flags Flown In Quaker City"

• Muskogee Phoenix, March 8, 2020, "Three Forks History: Betsy Rosses of Oklahoma created 46-star flag"

• The Oklahoman, July 3, 2009, "A very special Forth"

Presidential Preferential Primary Election

Polls are open Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

On March 5, 2024, Oklahomans will have a chance to select their party's nominee for President of the United States. Only three parties will be on the ballot: Democrat, Libertarian, and Republican. The state of Oklahoma currently does not officially recognize any other political parties. Oklahoma also has a closed primary system, meaning you can only vote in your registered party’s primary. There is one exception. This year, the Democrats have invited Independent voters to participate in their primary.

Here are the candidates listed on your party’s primary ballot:

• Democrat: Joseph R Biden Jr, Marianne Williamson, Cenk Uygur, Stephen Lyons, Armando Mando Perez-Serrato, and Dean Phillips.

• Libertarian: Chase Oliver and Jacob Hornberger.

• Republican: Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron Desantis, Ryan L. Binkley, David Stuckenberg, Donald J. Trump, Nikki Haley, and Chris Christie.

The presidential primary is statewide. However, these counties have something extra on the ballot:

• Blaine County: Town of Canton: 2 Propositions

• Canadian County: Proposition

• Carter County: Mannsville Public School: Board Member

• Cleaveland County: City of Norman: Proposition

• Creek County: City of Oilton, 2 Propositions

• Dewey County: Proposition and Sharon-Mutual Public School: Proposition

• Johnston County: Mannsville Public School: Board Member

• Logan County: 3 Propositions

• McIntosh County: Proposition

• Major County: Proposition

• Muskogee County: Town of Haskell: Proposition

• Wagoner County: 8 Propositions

• Woodward County: Sharon-Mutual Public Schools: Proposition

If your county, city, or district is listed, you can review these propositions by logging into the Oklahoma Voters Portal to view a sample ballot.

In person early voting is available Thursday, February 29, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm; Friday, March 1, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm; and Saturday, March 2, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm. Please visit the Oklahoma Elections Board for details on early voting.

The polls will be open on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Please, go vote.

In The News

A look at some of the latest headlines from around Oklahoma and beyond.

• Canadian County residents can vote to pour 1980s liquor law down the drain on March 5th ballot | KFOR

• Wagoner County's 'half a penny campaign' draws debate over real cost of tax propositions | KTUL

• Polling Place Change for Precincts 202 & 303 in Roger Mills County | KECO 96.5FM

• Vigils held nationwide for nonbinary Oklahoma teen who died following school fight | KOSU

• The death of nonbinary teen shines a national spotlight on Oklahoma’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies | The Frontier

• State senator criticized for calling LGBTQ+ Oklahomans ‘filth’ during public forum in Tahlequah | Oklahoma Voice

• Watchdog agency to restart health and safety checks at Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics | Oklahoma Watch

• Oklahoma County Commissioners approve new jail site | KFOR

• Oklahoma Board of Education approves slate of new, amended rules at February meeting | KGOU

• Facing Walters' accreditation threat, EPS asks OK Supreme Court to block OSDE book rules | Nondoc

• Once a target for online attacks, Union school librarian honored by district | Public Radio Tulsa

• Deadline looms for SoonerCare members to choose SoonerSelect health plans, says OHCA | KOKH

• Oklahoma Senate approves grocery tax cut. Measure heads to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk. | Oklahoma Voice

• Report shows Oklahoma has fewer producers, but some counties had an increase of farmers and ranchers | Oklahoma Voice

• Oklahoma City Baseball Club rebrands, working toward Opening Day and beyond | The Journal Record

• Officials roll out Oklahoma-developed fire hotspot notification tool | KOKH

• AT&T will give $5 to customers hit by cellphone network outage | AP News

• Keep your phone number private with Signal usernames | Signal Blog

About Oklahoma: Dewey County

Dewey County, Oklahoma

Welcome to Dewey County.

Dewy County is in western Oklahoma. The county was formed in 1891 as County D when the Cheyenne and Arapaho reservation was opened for settlement. In an 1898 election, voters named the county after Spanish–American War Admiral George Dewey.

Taloga, Oklahoma, located near the center of the county along U.S. Highway 183, is the county seat. Seiling, Oklahoma, in the northern part of the county, is the county’s largest city by population.

Other notable communities include Leedey, Camargo, and Vici in the western, Putnam in the southern, and Oakwood in the eastern parts of the county.

The county is also home to Canton Lake, which it shares with neighboring Blaine County.

• Established: 1892

• County Seat: Taloga, Oklahoma 73667

• Nation: Cheyenne - Arapaho

• Map: Google Maps

• Area: 1,008 mi² (2,610 km²)

• Population: 4,484 (2020 Census)

• Time Zone: UTC−6 (Central), DST observed

• Area Code: 580

• Congressional District: 3

• State House District: 59

• State Senate District: 27

• Weather: NWS Norman

• Tourism Region: Red Carpet Country

• History: Oklahoma Historical Society

• Historic Places: Exploring Oklahoma History

• More Information: Wikipedia

Extras

Here are some more things I hope you'll find interesting.

Why a Tire Company Gives Out Food’s Most Famous Award | Tasting History with Max Miller

A Regional Oklahoma Burger Made The Right Way! - Theta Burger Copycat! | Ballistic Burgers

Why We Can’t Build Better Cities (ft. Not Just Bikes) | Philosophy Tube

Getting in Shape by Sketchy Treadmill over 1 Year | ElectroBOOM

The Dark Side Of The Moon - 50th Anniversary - 2023 Remaster | Pink Floyd

Feedback Welcome

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave a comment on Substrack, email me at blogoklahoma@blogoklahoma.net, or connect with me at Mastodon at @blogoklahoma@social.tulsa.ok.us, Threads at @blogoklahoma@threads.net, or Bluesky at @blogoklahoma.bsky.social.

Have a great week.

– K.