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Flag Day and Its Western New York Roots


In 1916, Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day, a tradition with roots in Western New York, thanks to Buffalo native Sara Hinson. Sara was born in Buffalo on February 25, 1841, and had a 30-year teaching career in Buffalo schools. She wanted her students to know what the American flag stood for, so she taught them how to pay respect to the flag by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. On June 14th, 1891, she began the tradition of a formal ceremony of saluting and honoring the flag on the anniversary of the day that the Continental Congress accepted the design of the American flag. Other teachers and schools joined in the tradition, and it began to catch on across the nation, until it was “officially” recognized as a national celebration by President Wilson. Hinson is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery Buffalo NY.

Today on Flag Day, we salute the American flag, the men and women who have fought under its stars and stripes, and the country it represents.


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