Templeton library president speaks at Colorado statehood celebration, presents historic flag
The family heirloom once hung from Koenig Mercantile, where Colorado’s Territorial Congress approved statehood
– Templeton resident Melinda Koenig Reed spoke at Flag Day ceremonies June 13 in Golden, Colorado, as part of Colorado’s 150th statehood celebration.
Reed, president of Templeton Library, was invited to participate in the event, which featured a restored 38-star American flag she donated to the Golden History Museum. The flag commemorates Colorado’s admission as the nation’s 38th state in 1876.
According to event organizers, the historic flag once hung from the top floor of Reed’s great-grandfather’s Koenig Mercantile in Golden. The building also served as the location where Colorado’s Territorial Congress met and approved the statehood decision.
The Golden History Museum restored the wool flag, which measures 12 feet by 24 feet. Following a public display during Saturday’s ceremony, museum staff ceremonially folded the flag and placed it into the museum’s permanent collection, where it will be available for public viewing.
The flag was passed down to Reed by her father, Carl Koenig Jr., the grandson of former Golden Mayor Nicholas Koenig, who owned Koenig Mercantile.
Reed donated the flag to the Golden History Museum as a state artifact. She has also donated numerous Koenig Mercantile and Koenig family artifacts to the museum to help preserve a portion of Golden’s early history.
