Every June 14, Americans celebrate Flag Day, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the nation’s official flag. What many people don’t realize is that the roots of the holiday trace back to a tiny community in Ozaukee County.

Bernard Cigrand, a schoolteacher born in Waubeka in 1866, is widely credited as the father of Flag Day. In 1885, while teaching at Stony Hill School near Waubeka, Cigrand set aside June 14 for a special observance honoring the American flag. At the time, no such national celebration existed.

What started in a one-room schoolhouse became a lifelong mission. How so? Well, Cigrand spent decades writing, speaking, and lobbying for a national day dedicated to the flag. He believed the flag deserved more than a place atop government buildings. He saw it as a symbol of the principles that held the country together.

The effort eventually paid off. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing June 14 as Flag Day. The date commemorates June 14, 1777, when the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.

Today, communities across America mark the occasion with ceremonies, parades, and patriotic displays. But few places embrace the holiday quite like Waubeka.

The unincorporated community of roughly 600 residents has celebrated Flag Day for generations. For nearly 80 years, the annual observance has drawn visitors from across Wisconsin and beyond for parades, family events, and fireworks. The National Flag Day Foundation, headquartered in Waubeka, continues to preserve the community’s connection to the holiday’s origins.

For residents, Flag Day is more than a date on the calendar. It is a reminder that a national tradition began in their own backyard. And for the rest of the country, it is a chance to remember that one of America’s most enduring patriotic observances started with a Wisconsin schoolteacher who thought the flag deserved a day of its own.

And the day all began, right here, in Wisconsin!

Originally Published 6/13/24