Did you know a Batavia man founded Flag Day 99 years ago?
To say Batavia is proud of its role in creating Flag Day may be an understatement.
City leaders are figuring out how to celebrate all year the fact resident Dr. Bernard Cigrand invented the day and got it officially recognized 99 years ago.
“Having the founder of Flag Day living here when it was founded is, I think, a significant historical event in the history of our town and I think we should be very, very proud of that,” Mayor Jeff Schielke said.
But it also has to share the history with Aurora. And with a town in Wisconsin.
The history
Cigrand was a 19-year-old teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Fredonia, Wisconsin, when he proposed the idea of Flag Day in 1886, in a letter he wrote to the Chicago Argus newspaper. It was the 108th anniversary of the day Congress settled on a design of the flag. Cigrand displayed a small flag on his desk to help teach his students, especially recent immigrants, about American history and the principles on which the country was founded.
Cigrand continued to campaign for Flag Day in lectures, articles, books and by co-founding the American Flag Association.
He also changed professions, becoming a dentist. In 1912 he moved to Batavia, setting up a practice. And in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson declared June 14 Flag Day.
Cigrand and a son established a dental practice in 1920 in Aurora, and Cigrand moved there in 1932, several months before his death.
Celebration starts
On Friday, the big flag that Batavia aldermen carried in the Loyalty Day parade in May was supposed to be hung from the eaves of the Batavia Government Center, but weather intervened.
Schielke is encouraging neighborhoods to plan special flag displays throughout the year, noting residents of a block of North Avenue did so on Memorial Day.
“We have lots of great things planned throughout the coming year to acknowledge and celebrate this grand heritage in Batavia,” he said.
As part of Flag Day festivities Sunday, a cemetery walk and ice cream social are planned.
The members of the Batavia Arts Council and the Batavia Historical Society will portray local historical figures at the West Side Cemetery, on Batavia Avenue, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Forty-minute tours will start every five to 10 minutes. Tickets are available at the event, or in advance at the Batavia Depot Museum, Water Street and Island Avenue, or at bataviaartscouncil.org.
The Batavia Fireworks Committee will conduct the fundraising ice cream social from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Peg Bond Center on the Riverwalk, Houston Street and Island Avenue.
Cups of decorated vanilla and chocolate ice cream will be sold for $3.
There is also a 50/50 raffle; the winner will be announced at the July 4 fireworks show. Raffle tickets are $10 each, or three for $25.
The Batavia Community Band, youth instrumental and dance groups and guitarist/songwriter John Ivan will perform.
Also, members of the USS Illinois' Commissioning Committee will be there to discuss the new submarine, scheduled to be launched this fall.
Events elsewhere
• The Elgin Elks Club 737 will have a ceremony at 3 p.m. Sunday at Veterans Memorial Park, next to Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Mayor David Kaptain will be the featured speaker. Colors will be presented by American Legion Post 57 assisted by Boy Scout Troop 18 and Pack 67. The American Legion will conduct the flag retirement ceremony.
• A “Sundays in the Parlor” lecture at 3:30 p.m. at the Aurora Historical Society's Tanner House Museum will review “Dr. Cigrand's Grand Idea.” The museum is at 305 Cedar St. Tickets are $5 per person, or $3 for society members. Reserve a seat by calling (630) 906-0650 and leaving a message. The museum houses memorabilia from Cigrand, including flags made by members of his family.
• East Dundee has a Flag Day ceremony starting at 11 a.m. Sunday at The Depot, 319 N. River St. It is presented by the VFW 2298 Auxiliary. The Dundee Allegiance Color Guard is scheduled to be on hand.