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Trumbull County Commissioners

Trumbull County Flag

For its 2003 bicentennial, Ohio is doing something that requires the flags of its 88 counties. Some counties, including Trumbull County, don't have flags yet, so they're going to create them. The Trumbull County Board of Commissioners is asking schoolchildren to come up with a county flag. Not being a Trumbull County schoolchild, I have no input on the topic, but I do have some thoughts.

Trumbull County was formed out of the Connecticut Western Reserve in 1800, so it should have some link to Connecticut (and possibly Ohio, of course). It originally had 25 townships, so it could have 25 stars (or 35 for the current number of jurisdictions). The county is a square, so the flag could have a square in it. The county has a tradition of industry, especially steel and auto, and was the birthplace of President McKinley. Matt Walcoff, 20 October 2001

This county flag resulted from a 2002 contest to prepare for Ohio's Bicentennial. A portion of each age group's winning entry was included in the final design. A local artist Jay Sylvester is responsible for the bringing the pieces together into the flag we see today. The white stars stand for twenty-four townships on a field of gold which represents pride in the county. Corn stalk leaves represent agriculture. The six leaves on the left stand for the cities: Warren, Niles, Girard, Hubbard, Cortland and Newton Falls. The five leaves on the right are for the villages of Lordstown, McDonald, West Farmington, Orangeville and Yankee Lake.

The Trumbull County flag: a crimson field with blue and white ribbons and corn leaves around a gold circle of stars reading Trumbull County, Est. 1800, Ohio, with the courthouse rotunda and an eagle in the center.

In the center circle (O for Ohio), the rotunda of the county courthouse is highlighted. The time on the courthouse clock is 9:11, in commemoration of those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. The background of the center depicts the location of Trumbull County within the State of Ohio. It also shows the county is a perfect square. The American Bald Eagle is a symbol of patriotism. Trumbull County is one of the few in the state that currently (2002) has nesting pairs of our national symbol. The crimson background is a symbol of bravery. It is a reminder of the blood sacrificed by our ancestors for the freedom we enjoy today. It is also a tribute to all veterans from Trumbull County. Slate gray is for steel manufacturing. White stands for hospitals, health services, and a clear bright future.

The blue ribbons symbolize the Mahoning, Grand and Shenango Rivers and other waterways. The blue arrow stands for aviation and also directs us forward to prosperity.

The county was established in 1800, and named for Jonathan Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut to remind us of the Connecticut Western Reserve.

Tribune Chronicle clipping, 'Trumbull sets designs on county flag' by Bob Bromley, about the county asking schoolchildren to submit flag designs for Ohio's 2003 bicentennial.
List of contributors to the flag of Trumbull County, July 26, 2002. Full text follows.
Text of the contributors list

Contributors to the Flag of Trumbull County - July 26, 2002

Citizen Artists: Mary Mrowka, Howland; Tony Russo, Niles; Matt Kerber, Lakeview High School; Tyler Kish, Champion Middle School; Stephen Headrick, Champion Elementary School

Graphic Artists, Final Design: Jay Sylvester, Sylvester Sign and Design, Niles; Gary J. Persino, Trumbull County Planning Commission

Authors, Meaning of the Flag of Trumbull County: Gary E. Newbrough, Executive Director, Trumbull County Planning Commission; Alan Knapp, Assistant Director, Trumbull County Planning Commission; Mary Mrowka, Howland

Special thanks to the following for their hard work, support, and dedication: Michael J. O'Brien, President, Trumbull County Commissioners; Joseph J. Angelo, Jr., Trumbull County Commissioner; James G. Tsagaris, Trumbull County Commissioner; Roselyn Ferris, County Clerk/Administrator; Sue Shaffer, The Tribune Chronicle; Dan Rowland, The Eastwood Mall; Carlotta Sheets, Trumbull County Educational Service Center; Jane Dickson, Office of Elderly Affairs; Michael Psznick, Veterans Service Office; Jan Solomon, Trumbull County Fair Board; Bobbie Brown, Trumbull County Fine Arts Council; Mary Shaffer, Trumbull County Historical Society; Susan Montgomery, Trumbull County Farmland Preservation Task Force; Lori Gilk, Ohio Bicentennial Commission