deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

In our 26 years in Colorado, we loved every moment we could spend in our neighbor to the North, Wyoming. In addition to the natural beauty of the land, it has always been a progressive place.

The flag is a good flag, not fantastic because of the addition of the state seal. If it were to lose the state seal, and keep the silhouette of the bison, it would be among the finest flags in the USA.

The flag of the state of Wyoming consists of the silhouette of an American bison. The red symbolizes the Native Americans and the blood of pioneers who gave their lives. The white is a symbol of purity and uprightness. The blue is the color of the skies and distant mountains. It is also a symbol of fidelity, justice and virility. The bison represents the local fauna, while the seal on it symbolizes the custom of branding livestock.

It has a history inline with the history of the state. In 1916 The Daughters of The American Revolution, DAR, ran a contest to find a design for the state flag. The $20 prize went to a recent graduate of the Chicago Institute of Art, Verna Keays. The governor made it the official flag in 1917.

In the original design the bison faced the fly (the right side that flaps in the breeze). A woman professor from University Of Wyoming said that didn’t make sense. A bison would not face into the wind, they would face away from the wind, thus the bison was shifted to face the hoist of the flag.

Therefore, a contest ran by women, won by a woman and redesigned by a woman is the official flag of Wyoming.

Superimposed on the bison on the flag is the great seal of the state. The two dates on the seal represent when Wyoming gave women the vote (1869) and when it became the 44th state (1890). Above lady justice are the words: “Equal Rights”. With the torches of knowledge burning.

The people and the land make Wyoming an amazing place to visit.