The flag of the U.S. state of Maine from 1901 to 1909 was the first official flag to be used by the state; it was later replaced by a more standard military-style flag in 1909. The flag has recently seen a revival of interest due to local Maine vexillologists advocating for its re-adoption and businesses selling reproductions of it.
Design
There was no set standardized design for the 1901-adopted Maine state flag. Each flag maker had their interpretation of the flag as the legislative document simply states “buff charged with the emblem of the State, a pine tree proper in the center and the polar star, in blue in the upper corner.” As long as this criteria is met, the flag should be considered a Maine state flag. Some flags might have stylized pine trees or various shades of “buff”. The pine tree is a traditional symbol of New England and has been featured on New England flags in the past, notably the Pine Tree Flag. A popular version of the flag uses a tree design from the Maine merchant and marine flag.
History
Although Maine had a semi-official militia flag from the 1820s to the 1860s, an official design was first proposed at the time the State House was being enlarged. On March 6, 1901, An act to establish a State Flag was read in the State House of Representatives and referred to the Military Affairs Committee. It was read the next day in the State Senate and also referred to Military Affairs. The first draft of this act reads as follows: The Military Affairs Committee read their report on this act in the House on March 15 and in the Senate on March 19; this report contained a new draft and was read by Frederick Walls of Vinalhaven with the recommendation, ought to pass. The new draft reads as follows: This act passed both houses and on March 21, 1901 was Engrossed – Chapter 233 – State Law. A new law was later enacted on February 23, 1909, modeled on the first draft and after flags used in the Civil War, which revised the original: Only one existing copy of the flag from the 1900s is known to exist today. It is a small silk flag made about 1908 by the A. Kimball Co. of New York, likely made for the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition which was held in 1909. There are three known copies of this flag, one in San Francisco, Maryland, and Maine.
Recent usage
In both 1991 and 1997, David B. Martucci of Washington, Maine advocated for proposed legislation, brought forward by his representatives in the Maine Legislature, to revert to the 1901 flag, arguing that it was a simpler, more representative design of Maine as the "Pine Tree State" and was unlike any other current U.S. state flag. In both 1991 and 1997 the proposal failed, receiving 0 and 1 votes respectively. Local Maine businesses have also begun advocating for the return of the 1901 Maine flag. In 2008, CRW Flags in Glen Burnie, Maryland began offering an exact copy of the only known existing flag from the 1900s. In 2017, the Maine Flag Company began producing an appliqué version of the original Maine flag in their studio in Portland. As the original flag began to gain more visibility through 2018, Maine Stitching Specialties of Skowhegan, and the Bath Flag Company of Bath, all in Maine, began making and marketing their respective variant of the original Maine flag. In addition, the Gettysburg Flag Works of East Greenbush, New York sells a version of the design. Some of these and other firms sell clothing, hats, stickers, patches, beverage coolers, and other items bearing the flag or its elements. Thanks to these manufacturers, the 1901 Maine flag is undergoing a surge in popularity. A legislative bill was submitted in 2019 to change the state's official flag to one more resembling the original. After an initial wave of support, the bill died in committee due to a larger outcry over changing the flag.
