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Exhibit traces Flint family from England to Putnam County
The Flint family is the subject of the latest exhibit in the Founding Family series at the Putnam County Museum.
The first Flint to arrive in Putnam County in 1844 was George Washington Flint, only about eight years old. G.W.'s father Milton was a butcher in New York. A Fincastle family drove their cattle for sale to New York and through the years had become friends with the Flints. Since the Flint family had planned to move to Hinkley, Ohio, they asked the drovers to take their young son ahead to other family members as they made their way back home.
However, there was a problem. The Flint family members could not be found. So young George was taken to Fincastle with the cattlemen never to see his own family again.
George's family included eight children: Elijah, Herman, Tom, Wesley, Elmer, Laura Randel, Sophia Wilson and Alma Quinton. Both Tom and Herman's families were well known in Putnam County. Herman's children included Raymond, Clara Phillips, Mabel Pace, Herb, Clay, Cecil, Glenn, and Ernie. Tom's descendants were businessmen in Greencastle -- owning the Flint Market (later Gould's) and the Flint Locker Plant.
The Flint line traces to England where the family found favor and became friends with King Edward I, who built a ring of castles on the border of England and Wales. The king asked the Flints to oversee the care of the castle.
The Flint Castle was said to be the last place the king was headed when he was assassinated. Eventually the castle was destroyed, but the remains are still a popular tourist destination.
The exhibit documents their achievements and adventures with vintage photos and artifacts including George Washington Flint's discharge paper from the Civil War, the relationship of George Mason, who was the father of the Bill of Rights; five of the 15 founders of Indiana Asbury College -- later DePauw University; documentation of the Flints in the battle of Lexington and Concord; the relationship to Lew Wallace: Tommy Flint, a guitarist and composer; and the role of the family in the life of Brick Chapel Methodist Church.
Included in the display are report cards and notebook from the 1910s, a photo of the falls on the Glenn Flint property, the marker at Glenn Flint Lake, various World War II mementos including greeting cards and Fort Hood pillow top. A variety of tintypes and an old wagon jack as well as a red dress along with a picture of Vera Smith Flint wearing the 1940s dress are on display.
Bob Flint, unofficial family historian, recently opened the exhibit with a talk about the roots and branches of the Flint family tree. Bob, 88, has traced the family back to Queen Mary of Scots. Other family historians, including Carolyn Flint Carson, have extensive information on the family.
"Despite a rather unusual placement of the family in Putnam County, the legacy has been long and productive. Most who have lived in the area know someone related to the Flints," said Diane Flint, who assembled the artifacts from the family for this display.
Visitors are invited to explore the unique story of this founding family. The Flint exhibit will remain on display at the museum throughout the summer. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 1-4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The museum's phone number is 653-8419.