Clerk’s office dedicates 48-star flag to Sumpter Township Hall
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| The 62-year-old American flag is now displayed at Sumpter Township Hall. |
A 62-year-old American flag is now encased in a display frame and mounted carefully on the wall of the building after spending decades stuffed in a plastic bag in a township storage area. The 48-star flag was discovered by Dawn Hadyniak of Township Clerk Esther Hurst's office in the storage garage almost four years ago.
Hadyniak, who suspected the historic significance of the flag, safeguarded it until time permitted research into the provenance of the American symbol. In 2021, during the pandemic, Hadyniak and others discovered that flags with 48 stars served as the official banner of the country from July 4, 1912 until July 3, 1959 when they were retired and replaced with the 50-star flags flown today. The 48 stars represented the American states and with the inclusion of Hawaii and Alaska, a new design incorporated 50 stars to represent all 50 states.
The 48-star flag design, however, had served the United States of America for 47 years, longer than any other flag in the history of the country. Similar flags were flown through two World Wars and numerous historical events. The 48-star design served the country through eight presidential administrations: William Taft (1900-1913), Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921), Warren Harding (1921-1923), Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929), Herbert Hoover (1929-1933), Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945), Harry Truman (1945-1953) and Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961).
Hadyniak and Hurst were determined to display the historic flag as allowed by federal law, but in researching display boxes found steep prices for poor quality with no guarantee of availability. That's when they decided to use the resources they already had available in the township Department of Public Works. During a conceptual conversation with DPW employees Randy Lynch and Michael Petrowski last year, they all agreed on a design for a wall-mounted display cabinet for the historic flag.
There was a great deal of consideration into the choice of wood, display fabric and mounting when the discussion began in November of 2021 and Lynch and Petrowski selected the oak, plexiglass and display board eventually used. Hadyniak and Maryann Watson selected the backing fabric and color after extensive research to determine the appropriate choices.
When the specially-ordered fabric was delivered, upholstery instructor Wanda Watkins professionally attached it to the backing board of the shadowbox frame that had been custom-built by Lynch and Petrowski. The flag was carefully fitted into the case and mounted in township hall on Feb. 16.
A dedication document was prepared noting the history of the flag display and concluding, “The Flag of the United States of America is dedicated to the Township of Sumpter, Michigan, its Citizens and the Township of Sumpter Board of Trustees in the year 2022 by Clerk Esther L. Hurst and The Clerk's Office.”
