In honor of Independence Day, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is hosting a special display of what is believed to be the first United States flag raised in Portland after Oregon became the 33rd state. The flag is on display in OHS’s Reser Westphal Pavilion from June 30 through July 11.
The flag was hand-sewn by Ann Elizabeth Bills in 1861 and is preserved in OHS’s museum collection. Ann Bills and her husband Cincinnati Bills traveled from Indiana to Oregon in 1853. Cincinnati Bills would serve as Multnomah County Sheriff and start Portland’s first hauling business, which became the Oregon Transfer Company.
The flag was donated to OHS in 1961, and the accession file notes:…