Cleaning the Stars and Stripes, 12 years later

Sitting on display for 12 years has caused the last flag flown over Fort Sisseton to collect a bit of dust. Here, Mia Higginbotham, a summer intern at Fort Sisseton Historic State Park who is studying textile conservation at Arizona State University. Reporter & Farmer | Timothy Gibson
Sitting on display for 12 years has caused the last flag flown over Fort Sisseton to collect a bit of dust. Here, Mia Higginbotham, a summer intern at Fort Sisseton Historic State Park who is studying textile conservation at Arizona State University. Reporter & Farmer | Timothy Gibson

In the north barracks of Fort Sisseton Historic State Park, a 140-year-old American flag has sat on display since 2014. For 12 years, the 38-star flag has delighted patriotic guests, educated visitors on a transitional period of our country’s history and provided a tangible link to the past.

It also gathered a bit of dust.

The flag rests in a climate- controlled room, always kept between 6872 degree…