Show Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday June 32-- The 28 1987 Betsy Ross story debated by historians By Charles E Debevec Press International rum" United The Fourth of July is coming up folks so it’s time for a pop quls on American history Quick who made the first US flag? Betsy Ross right? Wrong Well maybe Historians are divided on whether the Philadelphia upholsterer and seamstress helped design and sew the flag or had nothing to do with it William Kingsley director of the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia of course supports the popular story that Ross a widow was approached by a delegation from the newly formed revolutionary government about sew ing the first flag As the story goes the ad hoc committee — possibly including George Washington Robert Morris and George Ross Betsy's uncle by stars marriage — had in mind because they would be easier to make But Betsy folded a piece of paper to show how star quickly she could make a which eventually became the standard Howard Madaus an assistant curator at the Milwaukee Museum and a noted expert on US flags said the Betsy Ross story is a lot of bunk — a myth started in the 1800s spread by her grandson and perpetuated by the “sensationalist press" of the time “She had nothing to do with the design As far as I am concerned she had nothing to do with the star which did not come into widespread use until the 1800s" said Madaus adding “There are no surviving flags from the 18th century that have sewn-ostars with five points" He noted there are surviving flags that have sewn stars with six seven or eight points and there are flags with painted six-point- ed five-point- five-point- ed ed n 18th-centu- ry stars five-poi- nt Historians such as Madaus who discount the Betsy Ross story put more credence in the story of Francis Hopkinson a member of the Continental Congress from New Jersey who submitted two bills for the flag design although he was never paid by the government Hopkinson a satiric poet songwriter and organ player also submitted designs for the Great Seal the Treasury Department and for various coins and currencies A common theme for Hopkinson’s designs was stars arranged in a circle Madaus said “He submitted two bills which were not accepted for political reasons" Madaus said “They did not deny him his claims made in the bills but he was not granted the cash" Kingsley said Hopkinson’s own superiors rejected his claim “His first claim was for half a keg of public six-point- ed Kingsley said “He withdrew that and submitted a second bill in 1783 long after the flag had been in use It was a little late" Kingsley also said the primary components of the flag — stripes and colors — already were being used in various forms at the time of the Revolution “That is not to denigrate Francis Hopkinson — he was a great man a patriot" Kingsley said “But it is difficult to believe that he could have claimed to have designed the flag" The Betsy Ross House is a major tourist attraction for Philadelphia drawing 500000 people a year It was owned for years by A Atwater Kent who had it restored and gave it to the city 50 years ago While there were many seamstresses in Philadelphia Kingsley said Betsy Ross was a natural choice for the flag sewing because her uncle was a member of the Continental Congress a signer of the Declaration of Independence and looked out for her wellbeing “Her husband (John Ross) was killed in January 1776 in a munitions explosion Then in late May or early June George Ross aware that his niece was a good seamstress and aware they (the government) wanted a flag she be the one to do it" Kingsley suggested On June 14 1777 the Continental Congress adopted the stars and stripes as the national flag of the United States Kingsley said that while there is no official documentation directly connecting Betsy to the first flag there is a surviving document showing she was paid for sewing ships’ colors for the Pennsylvania navy in June 1777 “I think today as well as then ships’ colors can refer to the national emblem" Kingsley said There also is an 1834 painting of her that identifies her as Betsy Ross even though she had been remarried twice by then and had stopped using that name “Why have a portrait in 1834 when she had stopped using that name 16 years earlier when she was not mown by that name?" Kingsley said A second painting dated 1851 portrays her sewing the flag — still almost two decades before the period when her grandson was known to be telling the stray Klnglsey said “So we can say Betsy Ross was known for making the flag in 1851 and for having done something significant in 1834 16 years after she stopped using the name” he said Madaus finds that evidence less than compelling “They make a big thing about the 1834 painting because she used the name Betsy Ross" Msdaus said “Well big deal Flag designer says he’s ready for addition of 51st state - NAPOLEON Ohio (UPI) If the nation ever gets around to adding a new state to the union Mayor Robert Heft will have a flag with 51 stars ready to go Heft's niche in history is already secure as the designer of the country’s flag 29 years ago but his dream is to have hfs second version accepted when a new state is created “There’s a very good chance that I’d be the very first person in America's history to design two of the nation's flags if it comes to pass" Heft said What began as a high school 50-st- ar project for the mayor real estate businessman and part-tim- e college teacher has evolved into a patriotic mission Heft travels 100000 miles annually from his home in Napoleon a northwest Ohio town of about 9000 people to spread the gospel of patriotism and the story of how he designed the flax His popularity as a speaker — he averages about 150 engagements a year — extends from commencement exercises to appearances before civic groups The Army has invited nim to serve as honorary parade marshal July 4 in Panama “Of course that's my whole life" he says Heft didn’t have such a high profile back in 1958 in Lancaster Ohio when his interest in politics and talk of Alaska ana Hawaii becoming states prompted him to design a flag as a school project “When I was in school I was 50-st- ar really shy" Heft recalled “I was always the type of kid to sit in the back of the class" Unfamiliar with a needle and thread and unable to get help from his mother who feared her son’s project would be desecrating the flag Heft spent 12 Vi hours one weekend arranging and sewing a new combination of stars “The thing is to add it (a star) so no one can tell there is a change in the design" he said Heft arranged the 50 stars in five rows of six stars alternating with four rows of five stars His teacher Stanley Pratt on the gave him a project “He said it lacked originality " Heft said “He said anybody could make the flag" Pratt however said He would give fieft a higher grade if he could get Congress to accept the design Heft took on the challenge and sent his flag to his con- gressman Rep Walter Moeller who eventually got Heft’s design accented Heft said he designed a version a few weeks after he completed his school project That flag has six rows of stars beginning with a row of nine and alternated by rows of eight to achieve a total The proposed flag is in the hands of Rep Clarence 51-st- ar 51-st- ar Heft said he has turned down offers of up to 6350000 to sell his first flag and he has no intentions of parting with it before a House committee and Walter Fsuntroy district delegate to Congress hopes to have the bill before the full House on Sept 17 the bicentennial of the signing of the Constitution The flag that made Heft famous is soiled and faded from frequent display It has flown over every state capitol building and over 88 US embassies An uneven patch at a lower corner is evidence of an attack on the embassy in Saigon in “But of course the thing that I’m worried about is right now it’s the official flag of the country and it takes me all over the world "he said Until another state is created and a new flag is flown Heft’s flag keeps him busy and making money through speaking engagements 1967 51-st- ar Miller io “I told him to do whatever is necessary if we have a contest again " he said A bill to make the District of Columbia the 51st state is "It's “What would happen if we the only flag in Unleu I took in a 51st state? 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