New City Flag

City Flag

The official City Flag for the City of Dowagiac, Michigan, was adopted by City Council on June 13, 2022.

The flag has a white Dogwood flower with a black center over an orange four-pointed star in a blue circle on a green field.

FLAG DESIGN EVENT

In November of 2021, a sub-committee of the Dowagiac Economic Development Committee, headed by Council Member Patrick Bakeman was established to create rules regarding the process for formal approval of a new City Flag. Instructions were created which included color guidelines, themes to be included and a requirement that all proposed designs adhere to the North American Vexillological Association’s five basic principles of flag design.

A total of 21 flag designs were submitted for consideration. The sub-committee, led by Patrick Bakeman, included local artist E. Paige Behnke and local marketing consultant Eileen Crouse, narrowed down entries to six designs. The finalist designs were submitted by Alyssa Boese, Breah Hannapel, Beth Hovey, Sean Kanuiga, and Eric Stovern, all from Dowagiac, as well as Niles resident Jesse Villagrana. The designs were shared with the community via the local media, social media and the city’s website. A survey was created and received 356 responses. The feedback was compiled and evaluated. The committee produced a final design which incorporated the public input and integrated elements of the six finalist designs. Production of the final design was donated, free of charge, to the City of Dowagiac by Sean Kaniuga of SK Design and will be available without charge for the community’s open-source use.

SYMBOLISM, COLORS & PATTERNS

The center focal point of the flag is a white dogwood flower. 
Dowagiac has the distinction of being the first “Dogwood Tree City USA”. These beautiful trees are prevalent throughout the city. The community overwhelmingly chose this image as most symbolic and related to the City of Dowagiac. The circle in the center of the four petals reflects Dowagiac’s location at the juncture Silver Creek, Wayne, Pokagon and LaGrange Townships.

Behind the Dogwood flower is an orange, four pointed “Compass” star.   A “Compass Star” was chosen to represent the diverse people who came to Dowagiac from all points of the compass.

Each point of the star represent a significant element of Dowagiac’s history and industry:

  • The Michigan Central Railroad
  • The Colby Mill
  • The Round Oak Stove Company
  • The Heddon Lure Company

The color orange represents fire, in honor of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi as the “Keepers of the Fire,'' the flame within a furnace as “Furnace City,” and as the Dowagiac Union Schools Chieftain orange.

Numerically, the four points of the star and four points of the flower, together symbolize the year (1848) Dowagiac was platted.

These elements are surrounded by a blue circle which represents water.  The Dowagiac River and Creek, the Mill Pond and the Great Lakes that surround our state.

The entire symbol is placed on a field of green which is symbolic of our agricultural roots. It acknowledges the continuing importance of farming in our community as well as the Southwestern Michigan College Roadrunner green. 

The three main colors of the flag, (green, blue, orange) represent the three wards which make up the City of Dowagiac. 

PROTOCOL STANDARDS

The following protocol standards are established:

  • The City Flag shall be displayed on city property with honor and shall be flown with dignity and respect.
  • The City Flag may be displayed in municipal offices and on city property, carried in parades and displayed at other occasions and locations.
  • The Mayor or his designee is authorized to order the raising or lowering to a half-mast position of city flags at properties and facilities owned or operated by the City of Dowagiac, or on the grounds of the County-City Building. 
  • When a City Flag is no longer a fitting emblem for display and becomes unserviceable or when it becomes faded or torn, it should be retired from further service with respect.
  • In the interest of fostering deep civic pride, the colors, design and theme of the City Flag of Dowagiac may be creatively and enthusiastically promoted as an open-source design to be embraced throughout our City.
    • Hi-res image: jpg
    • Vector image: pdf
    • Colors are:
  • Green - HEX #008001 / RGB (0, 128, 1)
  • Blue - HEX #0A3161 / RGB (10, 49, 97)
  • Orange - HEX #FF7420 / RGB (255, 116, 32)