The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-02-16
STORY OF PINE RUN
AND ITS SCHOOL
, THE FIRST SETTLEMENT BETWEEN
FLINT AND SAGINAW
Dolls Wadsworth, Student of Pine Run
School, Writes Annals of
Old Town.


creditable to the young author, Miss
Doris Wadswortb, to whom The Mes
senger extends its compliments together
with thanks for the use of the manu-
scrspt:
The village of Pine Run. the site of
the first settlement in Vienna township.
is situated upon the old Saginaw road,
and one mile due east from the village
of Clio. When at the height of its
prosperity. it contained the church edi-
fees of the Congregational and Chris
tian religious societies, two iron foun-
dries, one grst mill, three hotels, two
stores of general merchandise, one drug
store. one grocery store, postollice,
and population of about two hundred
inhabitants Charles Mclean, Hiram
Benjamin, Humphrey Mclean, Sylves-
ter Vibbard, Isaiah Merriman, Theo-
dore P. Dean, and John Whittemore
were among the earliest settlers upon
its sight and in the immediate vicinity.
Here was established the first post
Office on the route between Flint and
Saginaw. Ephraim K. Frost, native
of New Hampshire, came from Attol,
Mass, and settled here in 1855. He
later was engaged in the boot and shoe
trade and general merchandising. His
son, j. K Frost, Sr., is one Of the old
est inhabitants in Pine Run at the pres
ent time.
The merchants in business here at
the time of the arrival of Ephraim
Frost were Ezra &. Sparks, George
Warren and the brothers, Oscar and
James Bradley. Dr.. Samuel Lathrop
was the first resident physician in the
township. Garrett Post was the black
smith, while Aram Knapp and A. T.
Young presided over their respective
places of entertainment fx man and
beast. q
The Congregational church edifice
was then in course of construction by
William Sheldon, and the Genesee and
Saginaw plank road had just been com
pleted George c. Ecceston. q native
of Norwich, came in as the first shoe
maker the same year--l855. Abram
Reid's steam shingle mill was also in
operation.
William Tinker and son came from
Ashtabula Co., Ohio in Dec, 1865, and
soon after established the foundry and
machine shop which burned down
March 8, 1915 Their work consisted in
manufacturing and repairing plows and
other agricultural implements. Prev
ions to 1871 their attention was mainly
devoted to the manufacture and repair
of stationary engines.
Peter Smart who located in Pine Run
in 1866 and followed the occupation of
backsmthing, erected a small IRON
foundry in 1875 and began the manu-
facture of cast iron plow points, etc.
He also did general repairing in iron
work. A steam grist mill was erected
by Duane Read, in 1870.
The firsC board of school inspectors,
composed of Messrs Russell Hurd, Isiah
Merriman and William Hotchkiss, met
at the home Of Charles Mclean May 10,
1887. A school meeting was held in
the house of Charles Mclean on the 10th
of the same month, when Russell Hurd
was chosen moderator; George Sparks,
assessor. and Hiram Benjamin, director
Of schools
The school house was frame struc-
ture. 1t was situated in the village of
Pine Run and was afterwards used as a
blacksmith shop. 1t was also the first
frame building erected in the township
and. in it the Hon. josiah w. Begole,
afterwards prominent citizen of Flint,
and governor of Michigan, taught the
first school in the winter of 1878.
On the 18th day of Nov. of the same
year Q83O school meeting was held
in the school house and it was voted to
raise $500 for the purpose of building a
new school house and locating a site; to
raise So for a library case and $40 for
the purchase of books for said district;
also to raise $50 for repairing the school
house and for fuel the ensuing winter,
and the additional amount of $50 for
the use of schools in said district the
current year. The district organiza-
.tions continued as in the foregoing un-
ill reorganization in 1912. Since the
latter event, and especially since the
formation of Montrose, in 1876, many
changes have been made in school dis
trict boundaries.
The first record made regarding the
granting of certificates to teachers
shows that Miss Nancy Mclean and
Miss Melissa Pattee received certifi-
Gates mn uualified teachers. Nav G. 1943