Home of the Indiana State Flag

Morgan County — and the town of Mooresville, in particular —is perhaps best known around the state as the "Home of the Indiana State Flag."

The design of the Indiana State Flag was created by Mooresville resident Paul Hadley and selected in the state’s 1916 Centennial Celebration, as part of a competition to develop a state banner. The flag was officially adopted by the Indiana General Assembly in 1917.

According to the official description by the State of Indiana, the torch in the center stands for liberty and enlightenment; the rays represent their far-reaching influence. The official description in the Indiana Code explains the rest of the symbolism:

"The field of the flag shall be blue with 19 stars and a flaming torch in gold or buff. Thirteen stars shall be arranged in an outer circle, representing the 13 original states; five stars shall be arranged in a half circle below the torch and inside the outer circle of stars, representing the states admitted prior to Indiana; and the nineteenth star, appreciably larger than the others and representing Indiana shall be placed above the flame of the torch."

A historical marker commemorating Hadley's achievement can be found in downtown Mooresville next to the community stage at the northeast corner of the Main Street and Indiana Avenue intersection.

(Prepared by the Morgan County Leadership Academy Class of 2022 on behalf of the Morgan County Bicentennial Committee)