Though city flags are not very common, notable cities around the country fly their banners for citizens to rally under and take pride in as a symbol of their city. The pride I have for my hometown of Waverly, Iowa, encouraged me to design a flag to share with the small farm town community that represents both the history of the city and my years growing up there.
There are five basic principles of a good flag design:
1) Keep It Simple. The flag should be so simple that a child could draw it from memory.
2) Use Meaningful Symbolism. The flag's images, colors, or patterns should relate to what is symbolizes.
3) Use 2 or 3 Basic Colors. Limit the number of colors on a flag to 3 which contrasts well and comes from the standard color set.
4) No Lettering or Seals. Never use writing of any kind or an organization's seal.
5) Be Distinctive or Be Related. Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.
Each component of the flag represents a personal experience I had in Waverly and breaks down into several notable features.
1. The Seven Pointed Sun
The gold sun itself represents the beauty of the Iowa setting sun. Each point of the sun represents a feature or milestone that has played a significant role in the development and history of the city.
a. Waverly-Shell Rock School District
b. Wartburg College
c. The Sister City of Eisenach, Germany
d. The Waverly Midwest Horse Sale
e. Bremer County Seat
f. Flood of 2008 and the creation of a new dam
g. Waverly Heritage Days
2. The Three Arched Bridge
Each arch in the green stripe of the flag represents the three notable bridges that cross the Cedar River: the Bremer Avenue Downtown Bridge, the Green Bridge, and the Waverly Rail Trail. The green color of the stripe honors the Green Bridge as it was taken down in 2020. This was the bridge I rode across every day to get to elementary school.
3. The Cedar River
The blue stripe represents the Cedar River that runs through Waverly. When the town was first founded, the saw mill was the backbone of its new economy.
