James A. Flint was born on May 28, 1867 in Westminister, Vermont, the son of James Johnson Flint and Ellen Susan Marcy Flint. At the age of 21, Flint entered the Kansas University at Lawrence where he earned a law degree. During the 1890s, he opened a law office in Lawrence and practiced there until 1899 when he began travelling. In the fall of 1900 Flint came to Butte, Montana, but stayed less than a year leaving the following spring for Pony, where he established a law office. Shortly thereafter, he entered into a partnership with Charles Morris under the name of Morris and Flint, a firm specializing in mining, real estate, assaying, and insurance. In 1902, Flint was appointed by the Department of the Interior to succeed A.W. Noyes as U.S. Land Commissioner for Madison and Gallatin counties. Flint served in this position for nearly fifteen years. Flint was an active member of the Pony community taking an interest in school issues and serving on the town council. From 1928 to 1943 he operated a law office in Three Forks. Flint retired in 1944 and died on September 2, 1956.