The passing of a valley builder
Rev. Isaac A. Flint, who helped physically construct the Christian church of Yakima City, dies at 76.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The tolling of the bell of the Christian church on Monday morning carried to many the knowledge of the death of Rev. Isaac A. Flint, one of the pioneers of the Yakima valley and the founder and first minister of the Christian church of Yakima City, at the age of 76 years. About a year ago Mr. Flint suffered from an attack of pneumonia, from which he never fully recovered. When five weeks ago he was taken down with la grippe, he realized that his end was near and gave instructions regarding his funeral, which he desired to be of a simple character and without ostentation. Mr. Flint’s life was an eventful one; he was one of the early pioneers of the Pacific coast and participated in the stirring scenes of those times. Born in Chenango county, New York, he crossed the plains to California in 1845. He later moved to the Umpqua valley, in southern Oregon, and eventually to Yakima in 1868 or 1869. The deceased had been preaching ever since 1853, and it was largely through his efforts that the present Christian church was built, he having wielded the hammer and saw in its construction, and cut most of the shingles that yet cover the building. Mr. Flint leaves a family of six children to mourn the loss of a father whose strong individuality and force of character left its imprint on the community.
“It was largely through his efforts that the present Christian church was built, he having wielded the hammer and saw in its construction, and cut most of the shingles that yet cover the building.”
Early pioneers like Flint were often the literal architects of their communities, building institutions by hand. Today, the physical memory of these founders is often buried under suburban expansion, though their names remain on street signs and historic districts across the Yakima Valley.
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