Flag of Milwaukee
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| Adopted | 1954 |
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| Designed by | Fred Steffan |
The official flag of Milwaukee was adopted in 1954.
It displays symbols of Milwaukee on a medium blue background. In the center, a gear, representing industry, bears symbols of Milwaukee's identity and history. An Indian head, resembling the Milwaukee Braves logo at the time, represents Native American origins. A flag with two stars, said to be a Civil War-era flag,, may also represent a service flag. A lamp symbol in the upper right was once associated with the Milwaukee City Library. Below this is Milwaukee City Hall, representing government, which is flanked by a church, a factory, and the County Stadium. The golden barley stalk on the left represents Milwaukee's brewing history, and the red ship with water symbolizes Milwaukee's status as a port city.
The first attempt to introduce a civic flag came in an 1897 Milwaukee Journal contest. The winning entry included an oak branch with the motto "Steady Progress" over a cream-colored field. The design was praised by then-mayor William C. Rauschenberger, who lost reelection shortly thereafter. The flag never came into use.
In the 1950s, Milwaukee leaders discovered it was one of only four cities with a population over 500,000 without a flag, and so the city held a contest for flag designs. Former alderman Fred Steffan combined elements of some of the better entries to create the flag.
Efforts to redesign the flag have been initiated four times. The first three proposed redesigns were rejected. As of June 2016[update], a fourth proposed candidate has been selected but not yet formally approved.
In 1975, a Milwaukee Public Museum employee won a citywide contest. Although the designer won the contest's prize of a $100 savings bond, his flag was not adopted.
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