MAINE STATE SYMBOLS

On February 23rd, 1909, the 74th Maine Legislature passed the following law:

Section 1. The flag to be known as the official flag of the State of Maine shall be of blue, same color as the blue field in the flag of the United States, and of the following dimensions and design;
to wit, the length, or heighth, of the staff to be nine feet, including brass spear-head and ferrule;
the fly of said flag to be five feet six inches, and to be four feet four inches on the staff;
in the center of the flag there shall be embroidered in silk the same on both sides of the flag, the coat of arms of the State of Maine, in proportionate size;
the edges to be trimmed with knotted fringe of yellow silk, two and one-half inches wide;
a cord, with tassels, to be attached to the staff at the spearhead, to be eight feet six inches long and composed of white and blue strands.
Section 2. The flag of the State of Maine to be carried by the regiments of the National Guard of Maine shall be the same as the flag described in the first section of this Act, with the addition of two scrolls in red, one above and one below the coat of arms of the State; in the upper scroll the inscription '___ Regiment Infantry,' and in the lower scroll the inscription 'National Guard State of Maine.'
Section 3. The Adjutant General of the State of Maine is hereby directed to provide a flag, in accordance with the description given in the first section of this Act, and keep the same deposited in the office of the Adjutant General, as a model;
and for this purpose the sum of two hundred dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any moneys in the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Section 4. Chapter 233, An Act to establish a State Flag, approved March 21, 1901, and all acts or parts of Acts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act be and the same are hereby repealed.

Note that the military flag was modified in 1954 by the deletion of the top scroll and a change in the wording on the bottom scroll to "Maine National Guard." In addition, the governor, as Commander- in-Chief uses a 3'x 5' indoor State of Maine Flag with fringe, on a staff as his rank flag. The earliest known State of Maine Militia Flags were white with the shield of Arms in the center.

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