The narrow domed tower of Pueblo City Hall rises above the shops and eateries on historic Union Avenue and the nearby Arkansas Riverwalk. Inside the imposing century-old building, the official city seal presides above the council chambers, embedded in the ceiling. Tilt your head back and you can’t miss its main feature: five flags. The city of Pueblo tells a piece of it’s history on its seal if you know how to read it.
“The land where Pueblo is has been controlled by five different nations over the course of its history,” said Colorado State University-Pueblo history professor Jonathan Rees.
Of course, long before any of those flags were planted, the first people here weren’t in the business of owning land. Nomadic Native American tribes crisscrossed the area with the seasons.
Eventually, European explorers made it to the American West and colonial powers began to lay claim to this region. The history is a tangled mess of jumbled borders, complicated treaties and disputed claims. But for the quick version you can listen here: From The Tricolour To The Lone Star, Why Are There So Many Flags On Pueblo’s Seal?
