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Do you know that the City of Detroit has its own flag?

The flag tells the story of the people of Detroit and the story begins when Detroit officially became a city in 1802.

The act of the Territorial Legislature that made this possible also authorized the city to have a seal, or an official symbol.  But it wasn’t until 1827 that the present design was approved and adopted as the official seal.

The official Seal of the City of Detroit is the centerpiece of the flag.  It commemorates the great fire of 1805 that burned Detroit to the ground.  The seal shows two women.  The woman on the left represents Detroit at the time of the fire.  She is weeping. The woman on the right, who is comforting her, represents hope and the future.  The background scene shows the city in flames on the left.  On the right, a new and brighter city is shown.  On the sides are Latin words which translated into English read “We Hope for Better Things…It Shall Arise from the Ashes.”  This motto captures the real spirit of Detroit – one that meets challenges and evokes images of Detroiters working and building together.