My City February 2022

MYHISTORY

The Mayors of Flint PART 2: AFTER THE WAR

BY PETER HINTERMAN

When the Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, the soldiers and members of the upper ranks slowly journeyed back to their homes and returned to normal daily routines.When they returned to Flint, the lumber and milling industry was booming and storefronts were opened up and down Saginaw Street selling wares from dry goods to textiles. With the addition of the railroad, Flint was becoming a destination for commerce. Near the end of the 1860s, the carriage business began booming with other companies joining the Randall Carriage Company (est. 1858) in the market, setting Flint on its path toward becoming “Vehicle City.” During this time, the mayors of the city were an odd mix of professionals and businessmen from lumber barons to doctors and war veterans. ˆis series chronicles each of Flint’s mayors throughout history, providing a short account of their professions, lives and achievements made during their terms (if known). Some mayors were men/women of great deeds or of great controversy. Some simply acted as placeholders in time. Each one, however, chaired a city important to its country and its citizens on a path through triumph and heartbreak, and toward its eventual revitalization. For Part 1 in this series, see the January 2022 issue of MCM!

Argus / stock.adobe.com Tana Svoboda / stock.adobe.com

40

MYCITYMAG.COM