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Chautauqua County, New York (U.S.)

image by Jens Pattke, 28 December 2011

Description of the flag
Seal

- indicates flag is known.
- indicates it is reported that there is no known flag.

Municipal flags in Chautauqua County:

See also:

Description of the flag

The flag of the Chautauqua County, New York, is blue with county seal on it.
Photo of the flag thanks to Carmella Catanese, Confidential Secretary to County Executive
Official website: http://www.chautauqua-ny.com.
Valentin Poposki, 1 December 2011

On June 13th, I received a reply from Michelle Henry, the Chautauqua County Historian, with regards to several of the details concerning the flag of Chautauqua County, New York. Ms. Henry provided me with a newspaper article dated October 12th, 1967. The transcription of the newspaper article is as follows:

Oct 12, 1967
Lake Shore News, Silver Creek, NY

Frewsburg Student Wins County Flag Design Contest
The official flag of Chautauqua County has moved a step further toward reality. The judging of the entries submitted in the flag contest conducted by Chautauqua County Vacationland Association was complete during the regular monthly meeting of the organization last week. The meeting was held in the office of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce and was attended by representatives of Chambers of Commerce and businessmen's Association throughout the county.

The entry submitted by Robert Olmstead, a student at Frewsburg Central School was given first place. Second and third place winners were Miss Anne Klocko and Miss Becky Howard both students of Dunkirk Senior High School. The winner of the first prize, in addition to having his basic design incorporated in the proposed Chautauqua County flag, will receive a $100 saving bond. Second and third place winners will receive a $50 and $25 bond respectively. Both Dunkirk girls are art students of Miss Teresa Schober. The quality of the entries by high school students throughout the county made judging extremely difficult. Members of CCVA and the judges of the contest were high in their praise for the effort given to the project by county students.

The resolution adopting the flag is dated June 14th, 1968. The transcription of it is as follows:
WHEREAS, the Chautauqua County Vacationlands Association, in cooperation with the Publicity Committee of the Board of Supervisors, sponsored a contest for a basic design for a County Flag, which contest was open to students of all county schools, and
WHEREAS, the design submitted by Robert Olmstead, of Frewsburg Central School was accepted as the winner of the contest, therefore it is
RESOLVED, that the flag of the County of Chautauqua shall be composed in accordance with the design attached hereto and as so composed shall be the official flag of the County of Chautauqua.

There is a description, written by Mr. Olmstead himself, attached to the resolution that Ms. Henry sent me via email. It reads as follows:

The red, white and blue stands for the national flag. Chautauqua County is represented along with fishing, boating, grapes, and industry. The six stars stand for knowledge, lumbering, commerce, prosperity, tourist trade, and agriculture.

Ms. Henry states that the current county flag, as shown above, "...is virtually identical to the design submitted by the contest winner in 1968."

Paul Bassinson, 24 June 2014

Seal

located by Paul Bassinson, 6 December 2016
Image obtained from www.wrfalp.com.