A 1919 ceremony when our flag flew high
July 15, 2008 (Tuesday)
Yesterday I told a little tale from my childhood about the intersection of McKinney and Main Streets in downtown Houston. While browsing the internet today, I learned that the location has historical significance. While reading the blog, “Bayou City History,” by J. R. Gonzales, I discovered that the intersection was the scene of a victory celebration August 10, 1919, at the end of World War I.
A special flagpole was raised for the occasion, and a flag was provided by the owner of Foley Bros. Department Store. It was a very large bronze flagstaff, and was impressive on the occasion. According to the Houston Chronicle, 2000 people, including Civil War Veterans, gathered to honor the war dead and to celebrate victory.
The flagstaff was moved several times, and its last known location was at the Sam Houston Coliseum, which has been demolished. No one seems to know today where it is.
All across this great nation are monuments of various kinds to those who have given their lives in the service of their country. The flagstaff remained at Main and McKinney for eight years before being relocated. Now that I know about the solemn ceremony and the reason for the flag that was flown there before my birth, the little story about my experience there in 1942 takes on additional significance. It was an insignificant event in a significant place, because of the victory celebration and memorial service that had taken place there 23 years earlier.
Don’t you just love our country? There’s no place on earth like it.