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Flinn Family Correspondence: Finding Aid
mssHM 79100-79165  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
The collection consists of letters written between various members of the Flinn family between 1847 and 1873. The majority of the letters are addressed to New York farmer Samuel Flinn (1806-1873) from his brothers, nieces, and nephews in Ohio and Michigan. Major topics covered in the correspondence include western expansion and travel, farming and agriculture, Michigan and Ohio state politics, national politics, land tenure and the settlement of estates, Ohio state banking laws, the practice of ophthalmology, religious revivals in Ohio, the Spiritual Knockers movement in New York state, emigration to California, and family relationships, including courtship and marriage, in New York, Michigan, and Ohio.
Background
The Flinn brothers were the sons of Peter Flinn (1780-1850) and Castilla Richardson (1786-1854), residents of Union Springs, New York, and early settlers of the Cayuga reservation. The eldest brother, Samuel Flinn (1806-1873) was a farmer in Springport, New York, who inherited his father’s homestead. He married Mary J. Penny and had two surviving sons, Glenn (b. 1860) and Edward (b. 1867). Morris Flinn (1811-1891) lived in Rushville, New York, and served on the New York State Assembly. He married Harriet Amelia Whitney (1818-1900). Chester Flinn (1818-1900) was a sometime surgeon who spent time farming with his brothers in Ohio and Michigan. John Flinn was an ophthalmologist and farmer who lived in Springfield and Norwalk, Ohio, and Albion, Michigan. Abram Flinn farmed with John in Norwalk and Albion, and may have owned land in Missouri in the 1850s. Edward Flinn departed New York for St. Louis before dying of fever while on a trip to New Orleans in 1850. DeWitt Clinton Flinn (b. 1825) emigrated to California before a series of failed investments led to his returning home, destitute and ill, to live with his brothers in 1873. The Flinns also had two other brothers, Edwin and James, and a sister, Louisa "Lizzie" Clark, whose son John moved later moved in with his grandfather Peter.
Extent
67 items in 1 box
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.