State Flag of Minnesota TB02

Please drop this item in rural OR Premium Member Only caches.  Do not place it in an urban cache or abandon it at a caching event.  Transport the bug in the original plastic bag for as long as the bag lasts; the bag keeps the trackable clean and prevents tangling with other items.  Otherwise, take the travel bug anywhere you wish.  No permission is needed to leave the U.S.

Photos in the travel bug logs are appreciated.  I will be re-post them here, where they can be seen by other cachers.

Patch of State Flag of Minnesota. Minnesota's flag was officially adopted in 1893. The state's motto "The North Star," shown on the banner, was orginally created when the state was the most northerly in the Union. The flag is royal blue, with a gold fringe. In the center of the flag is the state seal. Around the state seal is a wreath of the state flower, the lady slipper. Three dates are woven into the wreath: 1858, the year Minnesota became a state; 1819, the year Fort Snelling was established; and 1893, the year the official flag was adopted.

Nineteen stars ring the wreath. The largest star represents Minnesota. There is great symbolism to items inscribed on the seal: The sun, visible on the western horizon, signifies the flat plains covering much of Minnesota. The Indian on horseback is riding due south and represents the Indian heritage of Minnesota. The Indian’s horse and spear and pioneer’s axe, rifle, and plow represent tools that were used for hunting and labor. The stump symbolizes the importance of the lumber industry in Minnesota. The Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls are depicted to note the importance of these resources in transportation and industry. The cultivated ground and the plow symbolize the importance of agriculture in Minnesota. Beyond the falls, three pine trees represent the state tree and the three great pine regions of Minnesota–St. Croix, Mississippi, and Lake Superior.