NATIVE SONS' BALL IS LARGE SUCCESS

A large number of members of the
Native Sons parlors of the bay cities at-
tended the uniform ball given last night
at Maple Hall, Fourteenth and Webster
streets, by the members of Piedmont
Parlor, No. 120. N. S. G. W.
Tho grand march was led by James
Barry, president of Piedmont Pnrlor. and
Walter J. Herkenham and J. A. Cosgrove
acted as door managers.
The hall was decorated with the national
colors and the California bear flag.

1909-05-25 Oakland Tribune"

James McChristian in 1910

8-28-1910 Oakland Trbune

"Pioneer Honored Guest in Parade"

SANTA ROSA, Aug. 27.—James McChristian, who stood on the historic plaza at Sonoma and watched the Bear Flag run up to the top of the old flag pole, will ride as a guest of honor in the Sonoma county contingent of Native Sons in the great Admission Day parade in San Francisco. The old pioneer is awaiting the occasion with much interest and will be accorded a very warm reception when his identity is known as the parade swings along. All the parlors in Sonoma county will parade in neat uniforms
and will carry a huge Bear Flag, fifty feet long and forty broad. Scores of members.will assist In bearing the flag aloft in the parade. For weeks the Native- Sons have been
planning for the part they will take in the parade and celebration. Several thousand people will go from this county to the celebration."

Oakland Tribune March 12, 1911 & the State Flag

On Sunday morning, March 12, 1911, the Oakland Tribune published an article regarding the new California law making the Bear Flag the State Flag, including the entire language of the statute signed into law.

The article also has a not very attractive line-drawing of the Bear Flag.

2010 Bear Flag flying with One Grommet

This is an April 2010 photograph taken in Sacramento, CA of a California Bear Flag blowing in the rainy wind with only one grommet, and just barely holding on.

Final Lowering of Bear Flag at Wooden Valley Elementary

This is a June 9, 2010 photograph from the Sacramento Bee showing the California Bear Flag being lowered for the final time at the one room school, Wooden Valley Elementary School.

Bear Flag History in Sonoma

We were honored Sunday at Sonoma, when the historian of the Native Sons of the Golden West gave a rendition about the facts of the creation and timing of the creation of the Bear Flag which we could tell from its language came from resources of the Bear Flag Museum. Most importantly, he indicated that the best we know about the timing of the creation is that it occurred at some point between June 14 and 17, 1846.

One small step for Bear Flag historical accuracy....

Bear Flag Day

Monday is June 14th. Besides being U. S. Flag Day, it is also the day traditionally celebrated in commemoration of the creation and first raising of Bear Flag in Sonoma at the start of the Bear Flag Revolt. Fact is we do not know for certain when the Bear Flag was created, except that it was flying by noon June 17th, 1846 and probably was made at Sonoma after Sonoma was captured on the morning of June 14th.

Regardless, HAPPY BEAR FLAG DAY for the one hundred-sixty-fourth anniversary of the California Bear Flag.

Riders of the Royal Blue with Bear flag

A photograph of the Riders of the Royal Blue from the San Gabriel Valley of California, with the Bear Flag in the background. We would estimate the photo as from the 1950s.

1938 California Orange Ball Bear Flag

This photograph was recently acquired by the BFM and shows a 1938 Bear Flag from fruit created for the California Orange Ball.

Annual California Bear Flag Celebration

Next Sunday, June 13, 2010, the Bear Flag Museum will be exhibiting in the Plaza in Sonoma, CA as part of the annual Bear Flag Celebration which has been held there since shortly after 1846.

There is a ceremony raising the Bear Flag on the pole in the Plaza, near the Bear Flag Monuments. There is a BBQ and microbrew festival as well. Sonoma has a lovely and quaint downtown. Come by and see us!

The flag, above, is in the Sonoma Barracks and dates from 1896.

CaliforniaGrizzly Bear

"The grisly bear is here to be found in all places where there is not much passing and repassing of human beings.... The grisly Bear of California is the most savage animal to be found in it. It is a very dangerous animal when attacked, but in all my [22 years] travels in California, in the course of which I have see...n several hundreds, I have never known a single instance of a bear attacking a man, unless the man has in some way or other molested the bear."

William Robert Garner, 11/5 & 12/1/1846 Letters.

If this, savage but only when molested first, is what the Bear Flaggers intended by the use of the grizzly, then it seems a rather apt choice, don't you think? 12510

Sneaker Bear Flag 2010

This is the Bear Flag creation of a student in Yuba City, California, using sneakers as the design element.