Picture from the Past: Flag-raising on Katahdin

Some 57 years ago, Americans were celebrating the nation’s birthday — and the recent addition of the 49th state, Alaska. Here in Maine, a group from Millinocket marked Alaska’s statehood in style, climbing to the top of Mount Katahdin and displaying the new 49-star flag at sunrise on July 4, 1959.

Members of the Millinocket VFW post and Boy Scouts hoisted a 49-star flag atop Mt. Katahdin at 4:42 o'clock Saturday morning at sunrise to mark adoption of the new flag honoring admission of the 49th state. The first rays of the rising sun burst from behind the group as the new flag was unfurled at Monument Peak while skies glowed with the beginning of a fine Fourth of July day.  BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY WASHBURN

Members of the Millinocket VFW post and Boy Scouts hoisted a 49-star flag atop Mt. Katahdin at 4:42 o’clock Saturday morning at sunrise to mark adoption of the new flag honoring admission of the 49th state. The first rays of the rising sun burst from behind the group as the new flag was unfurled at Monument Peak while skies glowed with the beginning of a fine Fourth of July day.  BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY WASHBURN

Alaska had actually been declared a state on Jan. 3, 1959; the group included members of the Millinocket VFW post and local Boy Scouts. The caption accompanying this photo that appeared in the BDN said “the first rays of the rising sun burst from behind the group as the new flag was unfurled at Monument Peak while skies glowed with the beginning of a fine Fourth of July day.”

The 49-star flag would be short-lived, however: Seven weeks later, on Aug. 21, 1959, Hawaii also became a state.

So tell us: Do you recognize any family members or friends in this Picture from the Past? If so, let us know!

 

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.