History of the South Dakota Flag

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SIOUX FALLS (AP) — History of the South Dakota Flag

1889: South Dakota becomes a state. At first, it has no flag.

1909: Deadwood pioneer Seth Bullock encourages Ida Anding, a State Historical Society member, to design a flag with a blazing sun on an azure field. The reverse side of the flag bears the state seal, which features an image of a farmer in a field alongside a river, a smokestack and mountains. In the sky is a banner that reads: "Under God the People Rule."

1963: State lawmakers nix the double-sided flag for financial reasons. The state seal is moved to the front of the flag and encircled by a sun. The state's then-nickname — "The Sunshine State" — also is included.

1989: The exact date is debated, but it's near the state's centennial that Spearfish artist Dick Termes proposes a new flag design that incorporates the sun burst surrounding a Native American medicine wheel. The proposal fails to gain momentum.

1992: As South Dakota embraces its new nickname of "The Mount Rushmore State," the flag is revised.

2012: Rep. Bernie Hunhoff, D-Yankton, resurrects Termes' design, saying that the state's seal and its flag should be separate designs.

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