Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The
Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties,
State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing
Co., 1904.
CHARLES E. FLYNN has the distinction
of being one of the early pioneers of Douglas county and is now one of
its well to do citizens. He resides about six miles north from Hartline
on an estate of one half section which he secured by homestead right and
by purchase. He has comfortable improvements on the farm and devotes
his attention to stock raising and farming.
Charles E. Flynn was born in Huntington county,
Canada, on June 9, 1858, being the son of Bernard and Katherine (Bennett)
Flynn who now resides in Oregon. Our subject was educated in the
public schools of Canada, Iowa and Oregon, and in the latter place he lived
fourteen years. In 1884, he moved to Yakima where one year was spent.
Then came the journey to Douglas county and he selected his present place
as a preemption, taking it later also as a homestead. Here he has
remained since, always laboring with energy and wisdom in the accumulation
of a good holding and in the worthy labors of forwarding the interests
of the country. Before leaving Oregon, he was section foreman on
the Southern Pacific, being the first one in charge of the section out
of Roseburg. Mr. Flynn has three brothers and three sisters who have
been mentioned in another portion of this work, and also a half brother,
P. A. Flynn, now in California
On August 11, 1902, Mr. Flynn married Miss
Winifred Dwyer, her parents, John and Julia (Murray) Dwyer, are natives
of Ireland. Mrs. Flynn has three brothers in this country, Michael,
Patrick and William T., and three brothers and four sisters in Canada.
The conditions obtaining at the time of Mr.
Flynn's settlement here were so different from what they are to-day that
one must draw upon his imagination to realize them. In place of fertile
farms in every section, it was barren prairie covered with sage brush,
and crops for the first few years were almost nothing.
Whatever trading was to be done, had to be
done in Spokane or Sprague, over one hundred miles away. Being possessed
of but little capital, he was forced to go to the Palouse country and Walla
Walla to work in the harvest fields to gain money to improve his farm.
This continued until it had become self supporting and since that time,
he has labored here with proper returns of prosperity and wealth.
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