Flags of Louisiana: Designing City Flags (Part 1)

Flags are more than just colorful pieces of cloth; they are powerful symbols of identity, unity, and history. The recent unveiling of the new East Baton Rouge Parish flag serves as a reminder of this very importance. The current Baton Rouge breaks one of the principles of great flag design by using words to tell you who it's for. Consider how a well-designed flag can evoke pride, foster belonging, and tell a story that resonates with everyone. I'll share my vision for designing city flags for East Baton Rouge Parish and its neighboring parishes.

Digital design of the East Baton Rouge Parish flag. Photo courtesy of Mark LeBlanc.

Baton Rouge | Plaquemine | Baker | Zachary

Baton Rouge

Red - the Red Stick | Navy Blue - French | Gold - Louisiana Culture

Baton Rouge is so close to having a great flag. The crest is brilliant and should stay. Only update I am presenting is choosing another look for the castle. The castle represents Spain, coming from the Spanish coat of arms. Which in turn comes from the Royal Standard of the Crown of Castile. Spain has used a variety of castle designs. To be more historically accurate, I used the version from the Bourbon dynasty, ruling from 1700–1833.

Symbolism

Adding in the wavy line, no doubt, represents the Mississippi River. Fluer-di-lis, the castle, and the Union Jack are the main symbols. Adding gold for Louisiana's culture and history.

• Option 1 (top left) is my favorite with the line running north to south just like the river, left aligned to mimic the parish border between West and East Baton Rouge. The split makes for a straightforward two-color approach that could be flipped. I went with Red, then Navy, "being on the west side of the river." Slight hint at the brief West Florida Republic known today as the Florida Parishes. The West Florida Republic had a blue background with a white star at the center, known as the Bonnie Blue flag, which could be seen as no-no.

• Option 2 (right) removes the Union Jack entirely. I don't think removing any mention of British rule would hurt. Great Britain ruled all land east of the Mississippi after the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Spanish land was split into West and East Florida at the Apalachicola River, with Baton Rouge within West Florida territory. Spain took it back after the American Revolution and the Treaty of Paris in 1783. I should've added a hot potato for the amount of back and forth happening for those who ruled.

• Option 3 (bottom left), It might resemble the New Orleans flag too closely. The only distinction lies in the badge, and the flag intends to represent the period of French rule, the changing of control between countries, and finally, the last French rule.

Plaquemines

Blue - Bayou/Water | Navy Blue - Nautical History | Gold - Prosperity

Plaquemine does not have a city flag or an official seal, so the canvas is blank. Plaquemine is well known for its lock connecting Bayou Plaquemine to the Mississippi. Finished in 1909, it served well until 1961 when a larger lock was needed. The building is beautiful with a Dutch-influenced style, gleaming white tile, and massive circular windows.

In the '70s, State officials wanted to demolish the building for a four-lane highway.

Symbolism

Using the crow-stepped gable facade of the lock house to represent the lock itself felt like the best option. Opted against using a circle to mark the window's position, as the contrast between sharp and curved edges didn't work well on the flag. Repeated the wavy lines to represent the bayou, you'll see this recurring theme in my future flags.

• Option 1 (top left) is my favorite and first design. It is simple enough that drawing would be easy and great on people's front porches.

• Option 3 (bottom left) is where I wanted to step away from the lock feature. The wavy line symbolizes Bayou Plaquemine, intentionally angled to intersect with the Mississippi. In the top left corner, a fleur-de-lis links to Louisiana, while sugar cane is depicted in the bottom right, reflecting its abundance in Iberville Parish.

• Option 4 (bottom right) was to put it all in one. This one has green lines disappearing into the back to look like the rows and rows of sugar cane fields. A blue line represents the impact of Bayou Plaquemine. A white, waved line dividing the agricultural and waterway ways of life.

• Bayou Plaquemine got its name from the Illinois Indian tribe; the word "Piakemine," translated by the French, means persimmon. So, adding or replacing the sugar cane with a persimmon could also work.

Baker

Red - Unity & Pride | Black - African-American Heritage | White - Dignity

Baker lacks a city flag or official seal, but the predominantly African American community takes pride in the colors black and red. As you enter Baker, you'll notice a buffalo, just the Buffalo Bills logo, alongside three roses on the welcome sign. Baker's history is rooted in being a railroad depot that grew during the refinery construction.

Symbolism

There's little information on the significance of the buffalo or roses, so we can't tell the meaning without making it up. With red and black being used, it's hard to design a flag that avoids an aggressive or authoritarian appearance.

• Option 1 (top left) I believe the buffalo signifies the community's strength, accompanied by three white roses that equal the city's Grace, Dignity, and Loyalty, all set against a red background.

• Options 2 and 3 (top right & bottom left) have 2 horizontal lines to represent the historical impact of the Illinois Central Railroad. Baker was a stop between Memphis and New Orleans. The black lines in option three would represent the African American community, and the rise of refineries, which grew Baker even more.

• Option 4 (bottom right) This time, I felt like a design featuring a black background was needed. Placing a white rose on the red center line helped prevent it from having an authoritarian vibe. A single rose can symbolize the community's, everlasting love.

Zachary

Light Blue - Community & Peace | Navy - Stability and Tradition | White - Honesty

Zachary shares its historical background with Baker regarding the city's link to the railroad. In the 1880s, Darel Zachary sold his 160-acre farm to the Illinois Central Railroad, which then constructed a track and depot.

Symbolism

There are few ties to French or Spanish influences, and there's limited historical significance to depict on a flag, which makes the design particularly challenging. Nevertheless, Zachary is a community that values southern traditions, peace, and quality of life, so a color-based design would be most fitting. Interestingly, the town does have a train depot!

• The Z is used a lot, even their city seal has a single Z in it. Felt appropriate to use a Z. The clock from the train station is a significant element in showing history. The clock can symbolize time, change, and motion.

• The second option features a central diamond representing the city limits' four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west. This design symbolizes a unified community and resembles the logo of the Illinois Central Railroad, which played a significant role in the city's development.

• Zachary High School's mascot is the Broncos. We could consider adopting Baker's idea and use a bronco, but its significance would depend on the community's perspective.

What's next?

I've designed flags for Central and Denham Springs, but I've chosen to hold off on unveiling them to keep this article brief. I'm waiting for St. George to become more established before creating a flag for them. The following possibilities might be Port Allen/Brusly or one of the cities in Ascension Parish. I hope you liked some of these designs and would love to hear your feedback. Thank you for taking the time to explore these creative concepts with me, and I look forward to your thoughts!