SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- The City of Springfield is asking residents to complete a survey about the current Springfield flag and whether the city should consider adopting a new flag.
The survey will be available through August 18.
According to the city, the survey allows residents to submit their own flag design and provide feedback about the current Springfield flag and a proposed new flag.
“A city flag should elicit feelings of civic pride,” says Cora Scott, Director of Public Information and Civic Engagement for the City of Springfield. “City Council wants to know if Springfield citizens connect with the current City flag, or whether it’s time to reimagine it with a new design and symbolism.”
In 2019, the Springfield Identity Project addressed city leaders with a proposed flag the group had made. Their proposed flag has been displayed around several small businesses in Springfield. The flag is included in the survey as an option for people to replace the current flag.
“It becoming official, to be honest, was a secondary goal; the main goal was to come up with an authentic icon that people connected with and could use to express their pride living in Springfield,” said Hotel Vandivort Owner John McQueary, co-creator of the Springfield Identity Project.
The proposed flag is split into three rectangles, with the top being the biggest. Superimposed on the rectangles are three four-point stars and a compass rose with a crown.
Here is what the flag means:
- Three stars: Innovative Spirit, Connection with Nature, and Ozarks Culture
- White area: the Ozark Plateau and Route 66
- Compass: represents how Springfield has served as the crossroads of the nation
- Crown: represents Springfield’s title as the Queen City
History of the Current Springfield Flag
The current Springfield flag has been with the city since 1938. The flag has three rectangles, one red, white, and blue, with four white stars on each corner, with Springfield, Missouri, right in the middle of the flag.
Here is what the current flag means:
- Red & blue bars: cooperation and civic pride
- White bar: renown for her achievements
- Four stars: religion, homes, education, and industry
Public Information Director Cora Scott said in the 2019 meeting that the flag was first attached to a flag pole was in 1966 at the Sheraton Motor Inn at Glenstone and Kearney.