Traveling salesman makes banner story
Oklahoma became the 46th state of the United States of America on Nov. 16, 1907, but the American flag with the new star would not officially fly until July 4, 1908.
On Aug. 22, 1920, The Daily Oklahoman printed an article by O.B. Brink, editor and publisher of the Mississippi Sawyer, Canton, Missouri:
“While window shopping on Clark street last Friday noon, the Sawyer man noticed in the show window of the Hodges Drug Co., a small silk flag beside which was a folded newspaper yellow with age. Believing it might be of historic value, we interviewed the good natured druggist and learned the story of the banner.”
The story continued that on Nov. 15, 1907, W.F. Hodges, a traveling salesman was resting in his Joplin hotel. While reading the newspaper he saw that on the next day Oklahoma would become a state:
“... as soon as the wires finished the announcement that President Roosevelt had signed the document, whistles would blow and bells would ring.
“Hodges knew that another star would be added to the American flag, and being interested in collecting curios, he determined to become the owner of the very first American flag bearing 46 stars.”
He took the train to Miami, Oklahoma, and made preparations for a milliner to begin work on the flag when the celebrations began.
“As a consequence, the flag — the first flag of its kind was in course of manufacture while yet the whistles of the town were heralding the glad tidings.”
Brink went on to write that The Miami Daily Republican reported the following story in its evening edition:
“Miami is lucky in everything and it is now our privilege again to boast of doing things and that at a lively pace, too. No sooner had the news finished over the wires that Oklahoma had been admitted as a state into this Grand Union of States than an order was given to Mrs. A. Green, a local milliner, for a flag to be made of silk with another white star in the field of blue. The order was given by Mr. W. F. Hodges a traveling salesman from Canton, Mo.
“The work was done by Mrs. Opal Trip, the lady of handiwork in the store, then to her like the Betsy Ross of fame, in making the first U.S. flag containing the first thirteen stars, will belong the honor of making the first flag containing forty-six stars …
“Mr. Hodges is quite a souvenir and curio collector and says he prizes this above all others …”