As part of the preparations for Ohio's Bicentennial, Fairfield County commissioners solicited flag designs from county residents and students. In 2002, a committee decided to make a composite from designs submitted by Berne Union High School student Ambrianna Robinson, local artist Cheryl Fey and Norman Swartz. The committee chose a burgee rather than a standard shape to match Ohio's state flag. The images on the flag represent industries and landmarks which are associated with Fairfield County: the cornstalks for agriculture, the dinnerware for Anchor Hocking glass, the oil derrick for one of the county's earliest industries, and the covered bridge to symbolize the county's rich covered bridge heritage and commitment to restoration of these structures. The sunburst inside an outline of Fairfield County represents the county's bright future. The committee was somewhat divided on the inclusion of the oil derrick, and animated discussions centered around whether the public, particularly those not from Fairfield County, would mistake the derrick fro a cellular tower. The shed at the bottom right of the derrick was added in an attempt to clarify the image as an oil derrick. This county was named by Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Northwest Territory, because of its beautiful fields.
