Colville Examiner - Saturday, September 5, 1931
CAPT. M. R. FLINT PASSES; WELL-KNOWN ORCHARDIST
Captain M. R. Flint, 95, for many years a resident near Meyers Falls, died in a Tacoma hospital late Friday of last week, following a brief illness. He was a widely known Civil War veteran. He moved to Tacoma 16 years ago.
Captain Flint was born Aug. 21, 1836, at Porter, N. Y., and graduated from Wilson Collegiate Institute near that city. He then turned his attention the merchandising business and accompanied his father to Salem, Mo., where he was operating a store of his own when the Civil War started. He organized the first Union reserve regiment at Salem and was commissioned captain of the reserve regiment.
When the war was concluded, Captain Flint was mustered out of the service on Jan. 18, 1865. He sold surplus army stocks for the government, engaged in private merchandising, started a bank in Illinois, worked on a Fargo, N. D., newspaper and acted as receiver for a big factory in Minneapolis before coming to Stevens county. He was always a doer.
Captain Flint’s residence in Stevens county was on a 320-acre ranch of Meyers Falls. It was widely known as the "Flint orchard," and under his direction it received many improvements. It had a water system connected with the lake, and in addition to the apple orchard there were 500 cherry trees. The big Bing cherries from this place made the name of Flint known to all cherry fanciers.
In 1916 Captain Flint traded this place, through O. N. Bell, and moved to Tacoma, and the next year A. J. Lee purchased the ranch and has owned it since then.
Captain Flint was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. In 1924 he served as commander of the order. He was a member of the Custer Corps. Despite his age, he was enrolled as a member of the Young Men’s Business club of Tacoma on May 26, 1930. He observed his 95th birthday anniversary Aug, 21, as the guest of honor of the club.
He is survived by his second wife, Alice; a son, Chester, of Tacoma; two daughters, Mrs. G. E. Brewer of Meyers Falls and Mrs. Abe Howell of Colville; a sister, Mrs. Ben Steward of Columbus, Kas., and three grandchildren, including Flint Howell of Colville. Those attending the funeral service from here were Mr. and Mrs. Brewer, Mrs. Abe Howell and Mr. and Mrs. Flint (Cappy) Howell.
Service records compiled by Glenda Todd and used with her permission. This and other information about the history of the First and the men who fought with the unit
can be found in her book, First Alabama Cavalry, USA: Homage to Patriotism.