Name/Title
Isle of Man flagEntry/Object ID
2021.88.39Description
Large flag of coarse, red, woven fabric with an applique of a triskelion [triple spiral] composed of three armored legs with spurs. One end of the flag is finished with a white canvas roped heading. The jute rope has a white toggle. Flag is handmade with a sewing machine that can zig-zag. The applique is on both sides of the flag.
Originally, the flag was entered in the SDHS temporary custody binder as item 175, from Kit Lane, 96-76-1, 1/22/02.Context
According to Larry J. Wagenaar in "Douglas - A Unique History of Community" 1987, pages 9-12, [2012.24] when Dutcher contracted Frederick May to plat the new village, May chose the name Douglas to honor his birthplace, the Isle of Man. [Douglas is the capitol city of the Isle of Man.] A competing explanation is the town was named in honor of Stephen A. Douglass. Although much disputed, neither theory has been definitively proven.
According to Kit Lane: "The original Douglas is located on the Isle of Man, a semi-autonomous island nation in the Irish Sea between Scotland and Ireland. It is the capital of Man and was first settled in antiquity where the Dhoo (gray in Manx) and Glass (clear in Manx) rivers meet.
In 1822 Douglas was the birthplace of Frederick H. May, who married one of the daughters of George F. Dutcher. In 1861 he offered to draw a plat of the new town that Dutcher was planning on the south bank of the Kalamazoo River. He proposed not to charge for the map if he could name the new settlement. Dutcher accepted the deal and May named it Douglas, after his birthplace on the Isle of Man." (text from a press release for a proposed Kit Lane lecture titled "Douglas: The original, the namesake and the ghost town.")Cataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2021.88Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionDimensions
Dimension Description
approximateHeight
4 ftWidth
12 ftCondition
Overall Condition
PoorNotes
red fabric fibers are brittle and peppered with holes, possibly moth damage.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Lane, Kit 1939-2024, May, Frederic HenryRelated Places
Place
City
DouglasState/Province
MichiganCountry
United States of AmericaContinent
North AmericaGeneral Notes
Note
Text written by Kit Lane for the 2009 Summertime exhibit
Douglas is named for Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown
Dependency located in the Irish Sea. It is where the Dhoo (“gray” in Manx) and the Glass
(“clear”) rivers meet. The Michigan town was named by Frederic H. May, who had been born in Douglas, Isle of Man, when his father was headmaster of a school there. Jonathan Wade who owned the land south of Center Street, founded his own settlement called Dudleyville, named for his brother. In 1870 the entire area of both communities was incorporated as the Village of Douglas. The name was readily accepted by the former Dudleyville residents who were mostly Democrats and had been supporters of Stephen A. Douglas against Abraham Lincoln in the presidential election of 1860Create Date
December 13, 2021Update Date
March 20, 2024
