Peter Krag’s original color sketch for the flag and seal of the Republic of Texas.

It was a few years before the design so highly esteemed today was agreed upon by the legislators of the Republic of Texas. The historical records reveal a lot about the new flag, but not the name of the person who created the design.

Texas flags with a single star had long been a favorite symbol. On December 28, 1838, Senator William H. Wharton submitted a bill to the senate with a description for a proposed flag: The national flag of Texas shall consist of a blue perpendicular stripe of the width of one third of the whole length of the flag, with a white star of five points in the centre thereof, and two horizontal striped of equal breadth, the upper stripe white, the lower red. Of the length of two thirds of the whole length of the flag.

On January 4, 1889 a senate committee paid $10 to Austin artist Peter Krag create a color drawing of the proposed flag, and by January 25th, President Mirabeau B. Lamar signed the bill and the Republic of Texas had a new flag that flies unchanged to this day. Subsequent state legislation in 1933, and 1993 codified specifics about the design measurements and colors used.

For more information about the flags of Texas, consult the Handbook of Texas Online.