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.)

The city of St Louis, Missouri. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers.

Once the White European businesses discovered the rich potential of the land, especially the fur trade, they brought people to populate the area. At first it was the French. The French ‘lost’ the area to the Spanish after they lost the Seven Years War. Great Britain became involved by claiming the land west of the Mississippi. Control briefly went back to the Spanish then France ended up with St. Louis. The United States eventually ‘bought’ a huge amount of land in the Louisiana Purchase and Missouri and St Louis became part of the US.

St Louis has always been an area that attracted immigrants. First it was a haven for Irish and German migrants. In modern times the city itself has been losing population. But, now it is ‘the’ place for immigrants from Bosnia. It currently has the largest Bosnian population outside of Bosnia.

“The flag with a solid red background has two broad heraldic wavy bars, colored blue and white, extending from the left top and bottom corners toward left center where they join and continue as one to the center right edge. This symbolizes the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Over the point of confluence a round golden disk upon which is the fleur-de-lis of France (blue) calling attention to the French background of the early City and more particularly to St. Louis of France for whom the City is named. The golden disk represents the City and/or the Louisiana Purchase. (Heraldically, the disk is a “bezant” or Byzantine coin signifying, money or simply purchase.) The flag’s colors recall those of Spain (red and yellow or gold), Bourbon France (white and gold), Napoleonic and Republican France (blue, white and red), and the United States of America (red, white, and blue)”