Larkin in 1846 on the California Bear Flag

Thomas O. Larkin, 07/18/1846:

"On the 14th June at sunrise, thirty four foreigners, some of them Americans, took posession of the town of Sonoma... and forming themselves into a company under the command of William B. Ide... fortified the town. On the following day, Commander Ide issued a Proclamation to the people and hoisted a new flag, having a white field with a red border, and a Bear and a Star in the middle;...."

Larkin, U.S. Consul, who was not present in Sonoma, says the Bear Flag was raised on June 15, 1846; the day after the taking of Sonoma. 12410

William Robert Garner related to the Bear Flag

William Robert Garner was a resident of California in 1846. In 1846 & ‘47 he wrote letters to two U.S. newspapers about matters in California.

In October 1846, Garner wrote: "Common ... cloth has always been worth ... twelve ... dollars a yard,.... At present there is not a piece of domestic cotton or even thread [in Alta California], that does not come from the United States of America;....'

If we credit Garner’s statements, and we have no reason to doubt them, this would mean that our dear ol’ original, California Bear Flag was made of cotton domestic which was made in the U.S. of A. and sewn with U.S. thread.

An interesting twist on an old tale, don’t you think?

2010 Bear Flag Pillows - Jaye Lapachet

Above are photographs of hand made pillows made by Jaye Lapachet auctioned at the Grand Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West, held during the week of May 17-21, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park, CA. The auction was to raise money for the NSGW Charitable Foundation.

The NSGW Charitable Foundation site is http://www.calnative.org/nsgwweb/cleft.htm. Please donate to to the Foundation if you can.

Jaye Lapachet's website/blog is http://artquiltmaker.com/blog/. Please check her blog out!

The photographs shown above are owned by and copyrighted to Jaye Lapachet. Please follow the policies and procedures at her blog site if you plan on using the photographs.

Bear Flag Over Fairmont, San Francisco

This is a photograph of the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco, CA with a Bear Flag flying over the main entrance of the hotel, with many other flags flying as well.

1953 Pioneer Flag Bear Flag

Maurice Perstein and Leland S. Tennant, owners of the Pioneer Flag Company watch Mrs. Grace Stevens sewing a California Bear Flag, October 8, 1953. From the collection of the San Francisco Public Library

How many claws do you have Mr. Bear?

The California Bear Flag’s design was standardized in 1953, by statute signed into law by Governor Earl Warren. One of the details of the bear as shown on the design of the flag relates to its claws. According to the 1954 manufacturing specifications, the bear has a total of 15 claws showing, white in color. 4 claws on the left front paw; 3 claws on the right front paw; 5 claws on the left rear paw; and finally, 3 claws on the right rear paw. Just so you know. Now memorize that!

If you don’t believe me, check the California State Flag Design & Manufacture Specifications (1954 – 1959) at www.BearFlagMuseum.org under the Bear Flag Law page.

California Tax Revolt Bear Flag

Larkin report 7/1846 on the California Bear Flag

Thomas O. Larkin, 07/18/1846: "On the 14th June at sunrise, thirty four foreigners, some of them Americans, took posession of the town of Sonoma... and forming themselves into a company under the command of William B. Ide... fortified the town. On the following day, Commander Ide issued a Proclamation to the people and hoisted a new flag, having a white field with a red border, and a Bear and a Star in the middle;...."

Larkin, U.S. Consul, who was not present in Sonoma, says the Bear Flag was raised on June 15, 1846; the day after the taking of Sonoma. 12410

California Bear Flag in 1899 Parade

From the July 7, 1899 The Hayward Review on the 4th of July 1899 Parade in Hayward, CA:

"Behind them came the float, representing California. This was one of the tastiest floats in line and brought forth cheer after cheer from the crowds. The float was a mass of yellow, with a profusion of California poppies. Miss Elsie... Ruppricht represented California and sat on a hill, and above was an arch bearing the inscription 'Eden Parlor, No. 113, N. S. G. W.' She was crowned with poppies and in her hand held the bear flag of California. A magnificent specimen of the California bear was at her left side and on the hillside beneath him, holding him by a yellow ribbon,was a little native daughter, Clara Drews."

Sounds like a lovely parade, don't you think?"

Another Bear Flag ready for AARP membership

This is another older version of the Bear Flag. Notice the smaller head on the bear and the almost flat grass plat on which he stands. This image may be derived from the California Blue Book which for many years included an image of the Bear Flag.

John Bidwell on the Bear Flag

From John Bidwell's 1889 interview FREMONT IN THE CONQUEST OF CALIFORNIA:

"Once E. M. Kern gave Bidwell to believe that Fremont had made Kern 'an equal, if not the principal custodian' of the Bear Flag Revolt prisoners at New Helvetia, 'Lieutenant Washington A. Bartlett of the United States Navy arrived from the bay, inquiring for Fremont .... he was sent to learn what it meant. So he went over to Sonoma with me. On our arrival Fremont was still absent trying to find the enemy, but that evening he returned. The Bear Flag was still flying, and had been for a week or more. The American flag was nowhere displayed." 1710

Bear Flag for President Hoover

This is a 1929/30 photograph of a California Bear Flag to be presented to President Herbert Hoover. The Bear Flag Museum recently acquired an 8" x 10" version of this photograph

Bear Flagger Delegates

How many of the delegates to the California Constitutional Convention in 1849 were Bear Flaggers?

Answer: Only one, the President of the Convention, Robert Semple.

Interestingly though, John A. Sutter, Mariano Vallejo & Thomas O. Larkin, important personages in California and involved in the events of 1846, were delegates to that Convention. 1510

No Fear Sexy Bear Flag T Shirt

Bear Flagger?

Here is a question for you: What is it that makes someone a "Bear Flagger?" It is a question we have never seen addressed nor answered in Bear Flag literature. Over the years there have been a lot of "lists" of the Bear Flaggers, but so far as we are aware, none of those lists declared what it was that made one a member.There actually probably isn't an answer, just a series of opinions. What are some of the options?

To be a Bear Flagger, did you have to be present at the taking of Sonoma in 1846? Or did you have to be one of the men who took the horses from Mexican Lt.Arce? Or do you just need to have supported the Revolt, at some point before it for all purposes ended on July 9, 1846? If it just required support of the Revolt, could that support be passive and undeclared or did one need to do something which said to the other Revolters and/or to the Mexican authorities that you were on the side of the Revolt?