Arkansas

In 1912, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) wanted to commemorate a new U.S. battleship, called the Arkansas, by presenting it with three flags - the U.S. flag, a naval battle flag, and the Arkansas AR state flag.  But Arkansas didn't have a flag yet.  Through a design competition, Miss Willie Hocker became the Arkansas flag's creator.  Her original flag design showed only three stars, recalling that Arkansas was one of the three states formed from the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 from France.  The state name, Arkansas, was added later, as was the upper blue star, which represents the Confederacy.  The diamond shape acknowledges that Arkansas is home to the only known diamond mine in the United States.  The 25 stars surrounding it symbolize that Arkansas was the 25th state.  Arkansas State Flag Adopted:  1913