Have You Seen It? Bozeman’s Official City Flag Is Beautiful

Here's an interesting fact about Bozeman that you may not know. The city has its own official flag. Here's what you need to know about it.

Unfortunately, the flag is only on display in a few places, so most people don't even know it exists. If you want to learn more about the history of Bozeman, the Gallatin History Museum is a fantastic resource.

The History of Bozeman's Official City Flag

The flag was designed by Bozeman resident, Doris Ward in 1966. Ward designed the flag and entered it into a flag design competition that was held in the spring of 1966, in conjunction with the completion of the new city municipal building (northeast corner of Main and Rouse).

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Prior to 1966, city offices were held in the old city hall and opera house (southwest corner of Main and Rouse, today the Soroptimist Park is located there), which was located across the street from the new building.

The city has since moved their offices again to the old library building on Rouse and Lamme.

According to Rachel Phillips, a Research Coordinator for the Gallatin History Museum, the city announced the flag design contest in early 1966 and then revealed the winner at the building dedication that April. It wasn't until June that the new flag was actually attached to the flagpole.

Doris Ward donated the flag (pictured above) to the museum, and according to their information, she actually made the flag herself. The gold background represents Bozeman’s rich heritage. A circle of snowy mountains protects the green valley.

• Mountains - Tourism and Strength
• Wheat - Agriculture and Productivity
• Book - Education and Progress

The Gallatin History Museum is unsure if the flag in the photo was ever used by the city. A replica of the flag is on display on a flagpole outside of Bozeman City Hall and inside of the City Hall commission room. The information and pictures in this article were provided by the Gallatin History Museum.