As the fireworks end and the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and McDonough County’s bicentennial begin to fade, one question remains: what lasting story will this moment tell? Looking back at history may help us begin to find the answer.
In 1976, to honor both milestones, the McDonough County Bicentennial Commission organized a series of community-wide events. Among the most memorable was a county flag design contest that invited local schoolchildren to create a new symbol for McDonough County.
More than 200 designs were submitted by students from across the region. The winning entry was created by eighth-grade student Carolyn Kersting of Edison School in Macomb. She was awarded a $100 savings bond for her design. Five other students received honorable mention and a $25 savings bond: Mary Beat, Romanus Ubamadu, Bert Ubamadu, Sue Busby, and Diane Allen.
Kersting’s flag design remained a closely guarded secret until it was unveiled during the Fourth of July Bicentennial celebration at a ceremony on the McDonough County Courthouse lawn. Raised for the first time with a 21-gun salute, the flag went on to become the official emblem of McDonough County.
Art teacher Pat Hobbs encouraged every student at Edison School to participate, introducing them to the history and purpose of flag design while teaching several key design principles: simplicity, meaningful symbolism, a limited color palette, and a distinct local identity.
Kersting’s design reflects those lessons. A gold star represents both the United States and the county’s rich grain fields. A blue ribbon symbolizes the Lamoine River and the prairie sky. Three leaves stand for native trees: shagbark hickory, cottonwood, and bur oak.
We are fortunate to live in a community where individuals and organizations continue to ask, What from our past and present should we preserve for future generations? At the Western Illinois Museum, one of the flags featuring Kersting’s Bicentennial design has been carefully preserved. The McDonough County Genealogical Society Library also cares for a Bicentennial scrapbook filled with photographs and newspaper clippings. Together, these collections offer a window into how our community commemorated an important moment in our county’s and nation’s history, and invite us to consider how we will mark the milestones of our own time.
These artifacts remind us that local communities help shape our nation’s story. They also challenge us to ask: What about the past and present would you like to preserve?
***Courtesy of the Western Illinois Museum***
