| "The design of the flag for the City of
Roswell is inspired by the land, water and sky that surround us here in
southeastern New Mexico. The blue field of the flag is representative of the
vast sky above us and this same blue forms the mountain of Capitan, our
ever-present companion in the west. The sun is represented by the Zia symbol
of the New Mexico state flag reminding us that we are all part of the "Land
of Enchantment". The stripes in the lower portion of the City of Roswell
Flag are yellow for the plains of the Pecos Valley; green for the
agriculture of our region; blue for the Pecos River; red for earth beneath
our feet. This pattern of stripes also symbolizes the various strata of our
subsurface geology and the precious resources, including water, which are so
vital to life here. The green and red stripes also acknowledge our
historical and cultural ties with Mexico and our vibrant Hispanic heritage.
The small white circle in the upper left, positioned along with the stripes
at the bottom are reminiscent of the Stars and Stripes of Old Glory, but
also symbolizes the enigmas of the heavens above us, the challenges of the
future and the wonder we all experience when we contemplate the mysteries of
the universe." While the above gives an accurate accounting of the symbolism of the flag it says little about my own feelings regarding the design of the flag and those things that led me to participate in this small part of Roswell's history. I entered the flag design competition because I had an idea, a computer and a belief that symbols still can and still do bring people of diverse situations together. The year preceding the summer of 1996, when the competition was announced, was full of images and events that spoke of people rejecting the idea of a common sense of national community. Perhaps because of this I felt a civic flag should help to both celebrate our individual character and to help remind of us of how we are bound together as a state and as a nation. I was struck (and intimidated) by the beauty of the New Mexico State Flag which I knew would be just above the new City Flag. Above the Flag of New Mexico, in contrast, would be the Stars and Stripes. I wanted to find a design for Roswell that would visually unite all three flags and that would symbolically acknowledge our unique place within the fabric of our United States. But I also wanted to connect the new flag with a flag that wouldn't be flying above it. The Flag of Mexico. As a boy I lived in a small Mexican village on the Pacific Coast. I attended the local elementary school and watched the raising of the Mexican Flag every morning. Because of my experiences as a child and because our land here is also a part of the history of Mexico I felt it important to include some reference to the red, white and green of Mexico. Because I am a visualist by nature and because nature is the most obviously visible thing here in southeastern New Mexico, it's no surprise that I might settle on Capitan mountain and our unique perspective of it, (appearing to be a pyramid only when viewed from around town) as the central theme for my design. I thought that by reminding our citizens of our unique place in nature, as Roswell grows, its leaders will be sensitive to the balance between mankind and land on which we live. I would like to mention a few individuals and institutions that were part of this project. The faculty and staff of the Art Department at Eastern New Mexico University, Portales. Particularly Greg Erf, the Chair and Jim Bryant for their patience teaching me the finer points of computer graphics and the numerous copies from their color printer. My wife Nancy who entered me in the competition even though I had forgotten about the deadline and who encouraged me to stick with it when I got fed up with the umpteenth revision. Finally, I feel a special thanks should go to Don Anderson and the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program who brought me to Roswell for the first time ten years ago. Stephen Fleming |
The City of Roswell’s logo pin symbolizes many things which are unique and special to Roswell. The original pin was designed by a local artist, Barb McKee, in consultation with Mayor Thomas E. Jennings in the spring of 1994. Mayor Bill B. Owen, subsequently made several design changes in 2002.
The rich ranching and farming heritage is reflected in the design as is a great deal of native landscaping. The ancient Indian Zia sun symbol casts its light over the logo and pin.
Above the sky is an ancient Indian Zia sun symbol representing the sun which is so prominent in New Mexico. The ancient Native American design symbolizes the four seasons, the four directions, the four parts of the day (morning, noon, evening and night), the four phases of life (childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age) and the never-ending cycle of life.
Protruding from the logo is a mescal which is a prominent native cactus found in and around the local community.
The Zia rays divide the sky between day and evening. The evening sky is filled and illuminated with stars and the moon and the daytime sky a brilliant blue bout, indicative of the clear skies affording outstanding visibility of the heavens and many days of sunshine. Flying through the rays is a rocket, symbolizing the accomplishments of Dr. Robert H. Goddard, the father of modern rocketry, and the continual involvement by Roswell in the aviation industry.
On the left side of the logo is a fenced pecan orchard representative of the significant agricultural irrigated lands important in the early settlement and to the current agricultural based economy of the area.
On the horizon is Capitan Mountain (sometimes referred to as Blue Mountain) and the desert landscape west of Roswell. The snow capped mountain also is symbolic of Sierra Blanca which lies at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains and provides our area’s primary source of water.
On the right side of the logo is a cow, representative of the significant dairy industry that has become a prominent part of the community and our great ranching history which was made famous by John Chisum.
In the middle of the design is a river which represents the Pecos, Hondo, North Spring and Berrendo Rivers in Roswell.
The phrase “ALL-AMERICA CITY” recognizes the award the City of Roswell won in 1978 and 2002. Roswell is one of the few cities that has achieved such recognition twice from the National Civic League, which presents the award to only 10 cities each year.
Lastly, the pin has a little green alien and is in the shape of an unidentified flying object (UFO) with beams coming down in celebration of the famed 1947 “Roswell Incident” which made the community famous worldwide.