Brief History of the Utah State Flag

The Utah flag is a simple but powerful design. It features a field of blue with the state seal in the center. Surrounding the seal are golden stars, one for each of Utah’s counties. But have you ever wondered how this flag came to be? Read on to find out!

The first known flag flown in Utah was designed by Miss Emma Perry and sewn by her mother. It featured the words “Great Salt Lake City” and “Deseret” separated by Mormon symbols. This flag was flown over Ensign Peak in 1847, just days after the Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.

In 1851, Brigham Young, the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commissioned a new flag for the Utah Territory. This flag featured the state seal on a field of blue. The state seal includes a beehive, symbolic of hard work and industry, as well as the motto “industry.” Above the beehive are seagulls, which saved the settlers from crop-destroying crickets in 1848.

When Utah became a state in 1896, the state legislature decided to keep the same design for the state flag. In 2011, however, the legislature updated the flag’s design to include gold stars representing Utah’s counties. There are now 29 stars on the flag, one for each county in Utah.

The Utah flag is a beautiful and unique design that represents both the history and values of our great state. From its humble beginnings as a simple piece of cloth sewn by Emma Perry to its current form with 29 gold stars representing Utah’s counties, the flag has flown proudly over our state for many years. It is a symbol of our hard work and industry, as well as our resilience in Times of trial. So next time you see the Utah flag flying high, take a moment to appreciate all that it represents!