Booth and Flinn was one of the largest American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 general contracting companies of its era. It was established and headquartered in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

The company was founded by William Flinn

William Flinn

William Flinn was a powerful political boss and construction magnate in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Along with Christopher Magee , his political partner, the two ran the Republican Party machine that controlled the city for the final twenty years of the 19th century.-Early life:He...

 (1851—1924) as a sole proprietorship

Sole proprietorship

A sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits and has unlimited responsibility for...

 in 1876 and merged with a similar venture in 1881 directed by James J. Booth. The business later operated under the name of Booth and Flinn, Ltd. and finally as Booth and Flinn Company.

The firm's origins were entwined with the Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 machine of the political bosses

Political machine

A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...

 Flinn and Christopher Magee

Christopher Magee

Christopher Lyman Magee was a powerful political boss in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Along with William Flinn , his political partner, the two ran the Republican Party machine that controlled the city for the last twenty years of the 19th century.-Early life:He was born in Pittsburgh...

 (1848—1901), his partner in politics, that controlled the city of Pittsburgh for the final twenty years of the 19th century. As a result of politics and a "lowest responsible bidder" scheme, Booth and Flinn won most large construction and paving contracts in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...

, where they built streets, trolley lines, and bridges, usually amid charges by competitors of graft. The firm built the Liberty Tunnel

Liberty Tunnel

The Liberty Tunnels are a pair of tunnels located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that allow motorists to travel between the South Hills of Pittsburgh and the city, through Mt. Washington...

s, Wabash Tunnel

Wabash Tunnel

The Wabash Tunnel is a former railway tunnel through Mt. Washington in the city of Pittsburgh. Constructed early in the 20th century by railroad magnate George J. Gould, it has never been of much use. His Wabash Railroad venture into Pittsburgh ended after 3 or 4 years. The Wabash Tunnel was...

, Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel

Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel

Mount Washington Transit Tunnel is an important public transportation link in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The approximately Middleton, William D. . The Time of the Trolley, p. 195. Milwaukee, WI : Kalmbach Publishing Co. LCCN 67-20155...

 and Armstrong Tunnels in Pittsburgh. The firm also built the Henley Street Bridge

Henley Street Bridge

The Henley Street Bridge, or Henley Bridge, is a vehicle bridge that crosses the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tennessee. Completed in 1931, the bridge is one of four vehicle bridges connecting Downtown Knoxville with South Knoxville, the other three being the Gay Street Bridge, the Buck Karnes...

 in Knoxville, Tennessee

Knoxville, Tennessee

Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...

. Booth retired from the firm in 1898; George H. Flinn, son of the founder, succeeded him, and in 1924 two other sons, William and A. Rex Flinn joined the company.