The 23 Star Flag
.
1820-1822
This flag didn't actually fly over the Town
of Franklin, but was the first flag to fly over the State of Maine
after she was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state on March 15, 1820.
Maine's statehood was part of the Missouri Compromise - Maine entering
as a free state and Missouri coming in (1821) as a slave state. It became
the official flag of the United States on July 4, 1820. The previous flag
had 21 stars. Alabama, the 22nd state, was also represented for the first
time on this new flag.
It's interesting to note that
the citizens of what was to become the Town of Franklin overwhelmingly
voted to remain part of Massachusetts.
In the United States and the world:
- James Monroe is President
- King George III dies (1820)
- Sir Walter Scott writes "Ivanhoe"
- Susan B. Anthony and Florence Nightingale are born (1820)
- Napoleon Bonaparte dies (1821)
- Population of US - 9.6 million
In the State of Maine:
- William King is the First Governor.
- The population of the state is roughly 298,335.
- There are 236 towns.
- The State Legislature meets in Portland.
- Maine folks are still thankful that
the name of the state wasn't changed to Columbia as proposed at the state
constitutional convention in 1819.
And in Plantations Eight and Nine (soon to become Franklin):
- Assessors were:
- (1820) David Springer, Jr., Stephen Scammon, John Butler
- (1821) David Springer, Jr., Stevens Gould, John Butler
- Lots of road building is going on. Roads were commissioned to be built along the South Bay and from Georges Pond to Beechland.
- January 21, 1821 - David Springer, Jr. shows up for a Plantation meeting, but no one else does. Was it apathy or the weather?
- 1821 - First ship built in Franklin is launched, the 80 ton schooner Sea Queen.
- October 18, 1821 - Voters at the
Plantation Meeting decide to incorporate into a town situated
three miles east and west of the line between the plantations. David Springer,
Jr. is selected to draw up the petition to incorporate and to present it
to the State Legislature.
- They were using money that looked
like this:
(click for larger picture)
