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History of Flint, Michigan, USA
Journey back in time to Flint, Michigan, USA
Explore the history, people, photographs, newspapers, postcards, and genealogy connected to Flint, Michigan, USA.
ABOUT THE PLACE
About Flint
Flint, Genesee, Michigan, USA
Flint was founded as a village by fur trader Jacob Smith in 1819 and became a major lumbering area on the historic Saginaw Trail during the 19th century. From the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, the city was a leading manufacturer of carriages and later automobiles, earning it the nickname "Vehicle City".
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Flint was founded as a village by fur trader Jacob Smith in 1819 and became a major lumbering area on the historic Saginaw Trail during the 19th century. From the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, the city was a leading manufacturer of carriages and later automobiles, earning it the nickname "Vehicle City".
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VINTAGE FLINT
Flint Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Union Industrial Bldg., Flint, Mich.
a 16-story office high-rise building in downtown Flint, Michigan. It is the tallest building in the city. Designed by Wirt C. Rowland in 1928 and opened in 1930, it was built as the Union Industrial Bank Building to serve as the headquarters for Union Industrial Bank.
On May 1, 1929, the Bank merged with Industrial Savings Bank to become Union Industrial Trust & Savings Bank. Several employees, including a senior vice president and two vice presidents, were caught embezzling $3.5 million from the bank in 1929. It failed during the Great Depression. wikipedia
a 16-story office high-rise building in downtown Flint, Michigan. It is the tallest building in the city. Designed by Wirt C. Rowland in 1928 and opened in 1930, it was built as the Union Industrial Bank Building to serve as the headquarters for Union Industrial Bank.
On May 1, 1929, the Bank merged with Industrial Savings Bank to become Union Industrial Trust & Savings Bank. Several employees, including a senior vice president and two vice presidents, were caught embezzling $3.5 million from the bank in 1929. It failed during the Great Depression. wikipedia
Flint, Michigan, USA
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First Baptist Church, Flint, Mich.
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Flint Wagon Works, Flint, Mich.
The Flint Wagon Works was formed in 1882. It was purchased by Mr. Charles Crapser and was Flint's first incorporated company in 1884. Here they built wagons for all purposes such as travel, hauling and for family use. In 1900 the main building caught fire and burned to the ground, but was later rebuilt. In 1903 the Wagon Works purchased the Buick Company and eventually sold it to General Motors. cockleburcamp.com
The Flint Wagon Works was formed in 1882. It was purchased by Mr. Charles Crapser and was Flint's first incorporated company in 1884. Here they built wagons for all purposes such as travel, hauling and for family use. In 1900 the main building caught fire and burned to the ground, but was later rebuilt. In 1903 the Wagon Works purchased the Buick Company and eventually sold it to General Motors. cockleburcamp.com
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Saginaw Street, showing Flint P. Smith Building, Flint, Mich.
Read more about Flint Penfield SMITH
Flint, Michigan, USA
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![Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3a%2f%2fgreenerpasture.com%2fPlaces%2fDetails%2f192&media=https%3a%2f%2fgreenerpasture.com%2fContent%2fancestorimages%2fflint_mi_4.jpg&description=Flint, Michigan, USA - Hotel Dresden, Flint, Mich.
"The Hotel Dresden was opened on January 30, 1907 by carriage maker, auto builder and real estate developer William A. Paterson. Located at 700 S. Saginaw Street at the corner of Saginaw and Third Streets, it was named after Dresden, Germany, by Paterson’s daughter Mary, who was impressed when she visited there. At the time of its opening, it had 103 ‘guest chambers.’ The six-story building was considered to by Flint’s finest hotel until the rival Durant Hotel was built in 1920..." facebook.com){kind=small}
Hotel Dresden, Flint, Mich.
"The Hotel Dresden was opened on January 30, 1907 by carriage maker, auto builder and real estate developer William A. Paterson. Located at 700 S. Saginaw Street at the corner of Saginaw and Third Streets, it was named after Dresden, Germany, by Paterson’s daughter Mary, who was impressed when she visited there. At the time of its opening, it had 103 ‘guest chambers.’ The six-story building was considered to by Flint’s finest hotel until the rival Durant Hotel was built in 1920..." facebook.com
"The Hotel Dresden was opened on January 30, 1907 by carriage maker, auto builder and real estate developer William A. Paterson. Located at 700 S. Saginaw Street at the corner of Saginaw and Third Streets, it was named after Dresden, Germany, by Paterson’s daughter Mary, who was impressed when she visited there. At the time of its opening, it had 103 ‘guest chambers.’ The six-story building was considered to by Flint’s finest hotel until the rival Durant Hotel was built in 1920..." facebook.com
Flint, Michigan, USA
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New Walsh Building, Flint, Mich.
Show more vintage photos, ads & postcards
Flint, Michigan, USA
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St. Joseph Hospital, Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Catholic Church
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Congregational Church
Flint, Michigan, USA
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First Ward Park
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Court Street M. E. Church, 1908
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Buick Factory and Offices, 1909
Flint, Michigan, USA
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High School, 1909
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Central Fire Station, 1910
Flint, Michigan, USA
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View on East Kearsley Street
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Hamilton Avenue, showing Buick and Weston-Mott Offices
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Walker School
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Noon Hour at Buick and Weston-Mott Factories
Flint, Michigan, USA
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"The Buick," Hamilton Ave.
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Lakeside and City Park
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Hurley Hospital, 1915
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Y.M.C.A.
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Flint Central High School
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Court House and Jail
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Masonic Temple
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Brown Hall, Michigan School for the Deaf
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Y.W.C.A.
Flint, Michigan, USA
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South Saginaw Street from Hotel Durant, 1923
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Aerial View of AC Spark Plug Plant on Dort Highway, 1941
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Office Building, Buick Motor Co., 1945
Flint, Michigan, USA
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Flint Tavern Hotel
Genealogy gifts & optional resources
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Genealogy Gifts & Resources Related to FLINT
MICHIGAN Humor Mug – Funny Coffee Cup for Donut Lovers & Winter Warriors
Embrace your Michigan pride with a touch of humor and a splash of local charm! This mug features the playful caption: "I'm from Michigan! That explains a lot about my love for donuts with weird names and wearing flip-flops in winter."
LOCAL HISTORY
Discover Flint: History, News, Travel, and Stories
Explore the events, newspaper stories, people, and moments that shaped Flint through the years.
1854 - Flint
Flint, a post-township in the central part of Genesee county, Michigan. Pop., 3304.
Flint, a thriving post-village in the above township, and capital of Genesee county, Michigan, on the river of its own name, 58 miles N. W. from Detroit. It is connected by a plank-road with Saginaw river. The river affords valuable water-power in this vicinity. Flint is surrounded by a fertile country, and has an active business. The Michigan Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind has lately been established here. It contains, besides the county buildings, a United States land-office, and 2 newspaper offices. Pop. in 1853, about 1000.
Flint, a thriving post-village in the above township, and capital of Genesee county, Michigan, on the river of its own name, 58 miles N. W. from Detroit. It is connected by a plank-road with Saginaw river. The river affords valuable water-power in this vicinity. Flint is surrounded by a fertile country, and has an active business. The Michigan Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind has lately been established here. It contains, besides the county buildings, a United States land-office, and 2 newspaper offices. Pop. in 1853, about 1000.
1859
FLINT, a township in Genesee co., in Michigan, U.S., 61 m NW of Detroit. Pop. 984.
1895 - Flint
Flint, a flourishing city and the capital of Genesee co, Mich., is situated on the Flint River, and on the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad, 34 miles S.S.E. of East Saginaw, 64 miles N.N.W. of Detroit, and 66 miles W. of Port Huron. The Chicago & Lake Huron Railroad connects this place with Port Huron. Flint contains a court-house, a city hall, 8 churches, 2 national banks, a high school, a savings-bank, 6 saw-mills, a paper-mill, 3 breweries, 4 flouring-mills, 3 brick-yards, 3 stave-factories, manufactures of machinery, ash, doors, blinds, furniture, carriages, &c., and the state institution for the deaf and dumb, which is a large and ornamental edifice. The high-school building cost $150,000, It also has a woollen-factory, a marble-factory, and an asylum for the insane. Five weekly, a tri-weekly, and 2 daily newspapers are published here. Large quantities of lumber are exported from Flint. Pop. in 1890, 9803.
1901 - Four Killed by Train Today.
Flint, Mich., June 14. - While MAJOR GEORGE W. BUCKINGHAM, his daughter ANNA, MRS. THOMAS APPLEGATE and her sister, MRS. GENERAL HUMPHREY, of Adrian, were out driving this morning they were struck by a Pere Marquette passenger train. All four were instantly killed. The body of Buckingham was hurled 75 feet and the remains of two ladies were found on the pilot of the engine. The close proximity of the factory buildings at the crossing prevented a clear view of the tracks and the party drove directly in front of the train moving at the rate of 30 miles an hour.
Engineer Joseph Wiggins says the first he saw was the form of the man flying through the air. The bodies were horribly mangled.
Engineer Joseph Wiggins says the first he saw was the form of the man flying through the air. The bodies were horribly mangled.
1905 - 11 HURT IN TRAIN WRECK.
Coaches of Flier Bound for Chicago Ditched in Michigan.
FLINT, Mich., June 8. - A fast through train on the Grand Trunk Railroad bound for Chicago from the East was wrecked this afternoon about ten miles east of here near Davison by spreading rails, three coaches being ditched.
Mrs. Cora Waltrous of Roxbury, Mass., was, it is thought, fatally injured and ten others were less seriously hurt. They included A. M. Spaulding, Rumney, N.H.; Mrs. Jennie Cook, Roxbury, Mass.; Arthur A. Holmes, Middleborough, Mass.; Michael McMullin, ex-police officer, of Boston, Mass.; Mrs. J. L. Christie, West Newton, Mass., and N. Hamshin, tourist agent, of Boston.
FLINT, Mich., June 8. - A fast through train on the Grand Trunk Railroad bound for Chicago from the East was wrecked this afternoon about ten miles east of here near Davison by spreading rails, three coaches being ditched.
Mrs. Cora Waltrous of Roxbury, Mass., was, it is thought, fatally injured and ten others were less seriously hurt. They included A. M. Spaulding, Rumney, N.H.; Mrs. Jennie Cook, Roxbury, Mass.; Arthur A. Holmes, Middleborough, Mass.; Michael McMullin, ex-police officer, of Boston, Mass.; Mrs. J. L. Christie, West Newton, Mass., and N. Hamshin, tourist agent, of Boston.
1916
Flint, a city and the capital of Genesee co., Mich., is situated on the Flint River and on the Chicago and Grand Trunk and the Pere Marquette Rs., 34 miles SSE. of East Saginaw. Flint contains a court-house, city-hall, the state institution for the deaf and dumb, an asylum for the insane, etc., and has important manufactures of woollens, carriages, cigars, iron, beer, etc. Large quantities of lumber are shipped here. Pop. in 1890, 9803 ; in 1900, 13,103.
Flint, Mich., Train – Automobile Crash, May 1934
Four Killed In Crossing Crash
By The Associated Press
Flint, Mich., May 30. – A Pere Marquette passenger train struck an automobile carrying seven persons on a memorial day trip to a cemetery here today, killing four of the occupants and injuring three others so seriously they are not expected to live.
The dead: Assad RIZIK, 55; his daughter, Josephine, 20; Ronnie GEORGE, 6. All were of Flint.
The injured: Joseph GEORGE, 50; Flint, driver of the car, skull fracture and internal injuries; George RIZIK, 16, skull, jaw and arm fractures.
By The Associated Press
Flint, Mich., May 30. – A Pere Marquette passenger train struck an automobile carrying seven persons on a memorial day trip to a cemetery here today, killing four of the occupants and injuring three others so seriously they are not expected to live.
The dead: Assad RIZIK, 55; his daughter, Josephine, 20; Ronnie GEORGE, 6. All were of Flint.
The injured: Joseph GEORGE, 50; Flint, driver of the car, skull fracture and internal injuries; George RIZIK, 16, skull, jaw and arm fractures.
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1935 - THREE LOSE LIVES IN PLANE CRASH AT FLINT, MICHIGAN.
TRIMOTORED TRANSPORT HITS TENTS OF GROUND CREW; SIX INJURED.
Flint, Mich., May 18 (AP) - At least three persons, including THEODORE E. KNOWLES, pilot, were killed when a trimotored transport, carrying passengers at the dedication of a new air field here today, struck tents occupied by a Selfridge Field ground crew at the edge of the field and crashed. The plane did not catch on fire.
KNOWLES and an unidentified man passenger were dead when taken from the wreckage. An unidentified woman died at a hospital, and a man and child were said by hospital attendants to be dying.
Six injured were treated at the hospital.
They were MRS. MABLE HARDWICK, superintendent of the Whaley Children's Home, Flint; WHIT CELWOOD, an abstract attorney of Flint; MILDRED ANDERSON, 33; JOSEPH SITZER, 12, and JOHN SKOLKINK.
The plane was owned by a commercial firm of Detroit, and had been carrying passengers from the field here during the day.
The tents had been erected by a Selfridge field...
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Flint, Mich., May 18 (AP) - At least three persons, including THEODORE E. KNOWLES, pilot, were killed when a trimotored transport, carrying passengers at the dedication of a new air field here today, struck tents occupied by a Selfridge Field ground crew at the edge of the field and crashed. The plane did not catch on fire.
KNOWLES and an unidentified man passenger were dead when taken from the wreckage. An unidentified woman died at a hospital, and a man and child were said by hospital attendants to be dying.
Six injured were treated at the hospital.
They were MRS. MABLE HARDWICK, superintendent of the Whaley Children's Home, Flint; WHIT CELWOOD, an abstract attorney of Flint; MILDRED ANDERSON, 33; JOSEPH SITZER, 12, and JOHN SKOLKINK.
The plane was owned by a commercial firm of Detroit, and had been carrying passengers from the field here during the day.
The tents had been erected by a Selfridge field...
1936 - EXPLOSION KILLS TWO, INJURES 10. GASOLINE TANK BLOWS UP AT FLINT, MICH., SERVICE STATION.
Flint, Mich., Sept. 28 - (AP) - At least two persons were killed and 10 injured seriously today by an explosion which demolished the General Tire Company's service station in downtown Flint.
The body of ALBERT W. HATTER, the office manager, was taken from the ruins. Firemen said they saw another body in the debris, but fire that followed the blast prevented them from reaching it or from searching for other possible victims.
Hospital attendants said two of the injured might die.
Firemen said they believed an underground gasoline tank may have been ignited by a spark from a retreading machine in the basement.
At least 18 persons were in the building when the explosion occurred, some of them salesmen attending a meeting in the offices. Two of the employees were women. Some of the injured were drivers of automobiles which had stopped for service.
Passersby helped firemen carry the injured from the wreckage.
The body of ALBERT W. HATTER, the office manager, was taken from the ruins. Firemen said they saw another body in the debris, but fire that followed the blast prevented them from reaching it or from searching for other possible victims.
Hospital attendants said two of the injured might die.
Firemen said they believed an underground gasoline tank may have been ignited by a spark from a retreading machine in the basement.
At least 18 persons were in the building when the explosion occurred, some of them salesmen attending a meeting in the offices. Two of the employees were women. Some of the injured were drivers of automobiles which had stopped for service.
Passersby helped firemen carry the injured from the wreckage.
1936 - General Motors Strike
December 30 - Spurred by an unfounded rumor that work is going to be transferred to plants with weak union support, autoworkers begin a spontaneous sit-down strike at General Motors Corporation (GMC) plants in Flint.
1953 - The Flint-Beecher Tornado
The Flint and Beecher communities of Michigan were struck with this tornado on the 8th of June, 1953, at 8:30 p.m. Tornadoes that strike at night are often more devastating because it becomes difficult to see what is taking place and this prevents people from getting out of the tornado’s path as much as possible or moving to a cellar or bunker that would give them a higher chance of survival...
The width of the tornado’s path was 833 yards, and the length of its path was 27 miles. A child of 5 months was the youngest person killed in the Flint-Beecher tornado, and a person of 80 was the oldest. Overall, the tornado took 116 lives and injured almost 850 more people.
The tornado, which was rated an F5 on the Fujita scale, damaged hundreds of homes, with the largest amount of them sustaining major damage and having to be torn down. Sixty-six farms and businesses are also damaged or destroyed. The total cost of the Flint-Beecher tornado was $19 million in 1953, which would equal...
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The width of the tornado’s path was 833 yards, and the length of its path was 27 miles. A child of 5 months was the youngest person killed in the Flint-Beecher tornado, and a person of 80 was the oldest. Overall, the tornado took 116 lives and injured almost 850 more people.
The tornado, which was rated an F5 on the Fujita scale, damaged hundreds of homes, with the largest amount of them sustaining major damage and having to be torn down. Sixty-six farms and businesses are also damaged or destroyed. The total cost of the Flint-Beecher tornado was $19 million in 1953, which would equal...
Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Flint, Michigan:
Flint Cultural Center:
Start your journey in Flint with a visit to the Flint Cultural Center. It's home to several cultural institutions, including the Flint Institute of Arts, Longway Planetarium, The Whiting Auditorium, and the Flint Institute of Music. You can explore art, science, and music all in one place.
Sloan Museum:
Located within the Flint Cultural Center, the Sloan Museum is a must-visit for history enthusiasts. It features engaging exhibits that delve into Flint's automotive history, the Sit-Down Strike of 1936-37, and the region's geological past.
Applewood Estate:
Take a tour of the historic Applewood Estate, once the residence of automotive pioneer Charles Stewart Mott. Explore the beautiful gardens and gain insights into the history of the Mott family and Flint's industrial heritage.
Flint Farmers' Market:
For a taste of local flavor, head to the Flint Farmers' Market. You'll find fresh produce, artisanal goods, and a variety of cuisines from...
Read more
Start your journey in Flint with a visit to the Flint Cultural Center. It's home to several cultural institutions, including the Flint Institute of Arts, Longway Planetarium, The Whiting Auditorium, and the Flint Institute of Music. You can explore art, science, and music all in one place.
Sloan Museum:
Located within the Flint Cultural Center, the Sloan Museum is a must-visit for history enthusiasts. It features engaging exhibits that delve into Flint's automotive history, the Sit-Down Strike of 1936-37, and the region's geological past.
Applewood Estate:
Take a tour of the historic Applewood Estate, once the residence of automotive pioneer Charles Stewart Mott. Explore the beautiful gardens and gain insights into the history of the Mott family and Flint's industrial heritage.
Flint Farmers' Market:
For a taste of local flavor, head to the Flint Farmers' Market. You'll find fresh produce, artisanal goods, and a variety of cuisines from...
GENEALOGY IN FLINT
Discover YOUR Roots: Flint Ancestry
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BIRTHS & DEATHS
Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in Flint, Michigan, USA
We currently have information about 360 ancestors who were born or died in Flint.
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Ancestors Who Were Married in Flint, Michigan, USA
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Updated: 9/17/2023 1:17:42 PM
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