In 1915, Mayor Ben Campbell decided Houston should have its own flag and organized a contest to solicit submissions from the public.

A panel of contest judges, however, substituted the city seal for the coat of arms, saying it was more forward-looking.

According to John Lienhard, a professor emeritus of mechanical engineering and history at the University of Houston said the 4-4-0 locomotive featured prominently on the seal had only been around for three years at that point.

In 2015, an original 1915 prototype for what would become the official flag was found in a resident's garage and was given to Preservation Houston.

The North American Vexillological Association kicked in the remainder of the cost with a $500 grant.