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Boaz, Alabama (U.S.)

Etowah and Marshall Counties

image by Eugene Ipavec, 23 May 2009

Description of the flag
Detail of seal

See also:

Description of the flag

The flag of the City of Boaz, Alabama, consists of three horizontal stripes of red, white and blue. On the upper hoist is positioned the city seal, half on the red and half on the white stripe. It looks to me that proportions are 1:1. The flag can be seen on a photo here: www.cityofboaz.org/mayor/Council/organizational%20meeting%202008%20006.jpg.

About the city:
"Boaz is a city in Etowah and Marshall Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city is named after the husband of Ruth, from the Book of Ruth in the Bible. It is part of the 'Gadsden, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area'. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 7,411. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 7,893. Boaz is nationally known as an outlet shopping destination. It is the "Shop 'til you drop" Capital of Alabama." - from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boaz,_Alabama.
Valentin Poposki, 22 May 2009

The city of Boaz is named after the Biblical figure of Boaz, who appears in the Book of Ruth as the eventual husband of Naomi and who is considered in Jewish tradition to be either the grandfather or great-grandfather of King David. The city seal of Boaz appears on a separate page within the municipal Web Site, in both a coloured format and a black and white line drawing. Heraldically the seal is in circular format, consisting of a solid concentric circle azure surrounding a scene symbolic of the community. In the foreground is a plowed field of the last with what are termed 'heads of grain' in the seal description. In the middle ground is an urban cityscape of the last, silhouetted against three mountain peaks drawn in outline. Above the central peak (Sand Mountain), is a rising sun or, above which is a blazon on a ribbon gules. In the very foreground is the date 1897 of the last. Within the concentric circle are the words City of argent at the top and Boaz, Alabama of the same at the bottom. Along the sides of the circle are two wheat sheaves bowed or.

All in all, a very busy device for what appears to be a busy little town. Somebody has obviously given some serious thought to the design of the seal as well as to the composition of the explanatory text, which appears underneath the depictions of the seal on its separate page and which reads as follows:

The sun rises over Sand Mountain, symbolizing a new day and a new era for this city, which is so rich in the history of Sand Mountain and the Northeast Alabama Region. Silhouetted in this 'new dawn' are the myriad elements which characterize Boaz, beginning in the foreground with its founding in 1897 out of a pioneer spirit in an agrarian society and progressively moving through foresight and diligent labor to the modern-day City of Boaz. The silhouette of the 'New Boaz' encompasses the many significant facets of this progressive community - including business, industry, education, religion, patriotism, and quality of life - all a part of the rich traditions of the city. The heads of grain symbolize the fruits of these elements, in terms of growth and prosperity for the community and for its citizens and their families. And surrounding it all is a city government dedicated to tradition, justice and progress. The banner which is unfurled over this scene heralds the Latin phraseology best summarizing the story of Boaz:
TRADITIO IUSTITIA PROGRESSUS [Tradition Justice Progress]

Source: www.boaz.net/city/officialseal.html
Ron Lahav, 10 February 2004

Detail of Seal

image by Eugene Ipavec, 23 May 2009

Applying perspective correction, the seal resolves to a circle at 3:4.
Eugene Ipavec, 23 May 2009