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Allegheny City, Pennsylvania (U.S.)

Allegheny County

image by Blas Delgado, 22 February 2001

Description of the flag
Seal

See also:

Description of the flag

To the best of my knowledge, Allegheny City no longer exists as a municipal entity. It is the portion of the City of Pittsburgh north of the Ohio River and was absorbed into Pittsburgh, as the dates on the flag indicate, in 1907. I believe the flag shown is kind of a commemorative item devised by a civic association trying to preserve the area's heritage.
Joe McMillan, 23 February 2001

image located by Daniel Rentería, 10 October 2023

According to City Flags of Pennsylvania, the only flag of Allegheny as a city was created after a competition where Mayor Charles F. Kirschler offered a prize of $50 (more than $1500 today) for the best design of a municipal flag by the children in the schools of Allegheny. 205 entries were received, with Helen M. Meister, who was a student at the Thirteenth Ward School, receiving this prize. The judges for this contest were John D. Shafer, Joseph A. O'Neil, and John A. Brashear and were appointed by the mayor.

By ordinance, this flag's proportions were 9:16 and used block letters. These letters were in height one third of the width of the stripe. It was also red, white, and blue. The middle stripe contains a version of the seal, with its diameter equal to the width of the stripe. The letters "First Log Cabin" in the flag were supposed to be one eighteenth of the diameter of the circle. The colors of the seal were described in the ordinance to also be "as nearly as possible to represent nature." 15 stars also sat on the white stripe. The diameter of the stars were described to be one fourth of the width of the stripe in blue. The stars symbolized the 15 wards of Allegheny.

The ordinance also mentioned that for each new ward added to the city, one star would be added on the Fourth of July following the admission of the ward. Of course, it is a unique way of adopting a flag like how the United States does with admission of states. The ordinance was adopted June 20, 1907. Flag first hoisted at city hall on July 4 that year. However, Allegheny never had the chance to add stars to its flag, as it would be a very short-lived city flag, since Pittsburgh annexed the city on December 7, 1907, nearly six months after the flag's adoption. It was a measure which most Allegheny residents at the time opposed. This is probably among the only examples, if not the only, of a flag losing official status by annexation.
Daniel Rentería, 10 October 2023

Seal

image located by Daniel Rentería, 10 October 2023

According to info-ren.org, the seal of Allegheny was created by General William Robinson, Jr, which depicts his home, the first log cabin in Allegheny. As mentioned in City Flags of Pennsylvania, it depicts a Native American in a canoe over the river in front of this cabin and has the words "First Log Cabin" in the upper half of the seal.
Daniel Rentería, 10 October 2023