42-Star American Flag

On the west wall of the Legislative Building State Reception Room, you can view an original 42-star American flag from 1889, the year Washington became a state.

The 42-star flag was never an official flag of the United States. When Washington became the 42nd state on November 11, 1889, the federal government planned to fly a flag with 42 stars over the U.S. Capitol on July 4, 1890. However, Idaho officially became a state on July 3, 1890, so a 43-star flag flew over the U.S. Capitol instead.

Because it was used for only about 243 days, the 42-star flag is very rare. Many flags were made for Washington’s statehood, but not many were made after Idaho became a state. The well-preserved flag in the Legislative Building was given to the Washington State Secretary of State’s Office by the Thomas Wade Marsh family from Olympia.