The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-04-13
A BEAUTIFUL HOME

Mr.. and Mrs. Ray Green, living
three miles southeast of Clio, on the
Dixie, are occupying recently COM
pleted home which is one of the most
beautiful and commodious in this
part of the country. We say "re-
Gently completed" and the term is
correct, although the house is re
built from one of the oldest structures
hereabout, which had its beginnings
in pioneer days before the Civil War,
when numbering was of far greater
Importance than agriculture and
beautiful homes were practically un-
known. The original structure was
built about 1845 and if the first
owner could reappear upon the scene
and behold the transformation that
has been wrought; if he could see the
big barnlike frame building of his
day turned into a large, handsome,
modern bungalow of vitrified brick
and stone, with large windows, a
plate glass door to the front entrance
and spacious piazza along the entire
front, he would rub his eyes and the
tabled Rip Van Wrinkle, awakened
from his twenty years sleep, would
have nothing on him" in the matter
of surprise.
The old building was known as the
Fayville House in pioneer times and
was a stopping place for stage
coaches furnishing the sole means of
passenger traffic between Detroit,
Flint and Saginaw, over the "old
plank" toll road. Romantic days
they were, when the coach rolled up
to the door with a dash and a crack
of the whip over the four-horse team
and the passengers went into the
"tavern" for refreshments, substant-
! ial or liquid, as taste might incline.
William Green became proprietor
of the Fayville House when his son
John, our fellow townsman, was three
years old, and ran it as a public
house for nine years. Our genial
| fellow townsman continued to live in
the old house long after it ceased to
| about it, living there in plenty and
contentment until about Is years ago
when, he says, Nrs. Green moved to
! Clio and he followed her."
The Fayville House took it's name
from the little settlement about it.
the whole being located in the midst
of the forest and newly made clear
ings. Beside the hotel there were
two general stores, one kept by Sim
Dickinson and the other by Waste
Bros. There was also a shoe shop
kept by John Billings, who employed
! two men beside himself, and manu-
factured the most of the footwear for
the community, a blacksmith shop
kept by Chauncey Chandler, a wagon
shop kept by Ben Kendall and a
steam grist mill kept by Orla john
son. A somewhat dramatic incident
in the history of the mill took place
one morning when customers coming
to get their "grists" found the doors
open, but the machinery still, and on
investigation found the miller dead
and seated at the top of the stairs
leading to the second story. Soon af-
ter this the mill was sold and moved
to Whitesburg.
| Dancing was preeminently a fav-
orite diversion of pioneer days and
many gay and numerously attended
the old hotel, the Fourth, of July and
Christmas being especially popular in
that regard.
At the time of which we write a
public school was kept at Fay
Vile, Miss Jane Vinton, an aunt of
Seth and Herman Johnson, being one
of the early teachers. She long since
passed to the great beyond. This
school was afterward transferred to
the larger and growing settlement at
Mt. Morris.
Well, we have indeed wandered far
afield from the new home of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ray Green, and yet the old
house saw all of the events we have
mentioned and many others wellworth
relating and now, rejuvenated, the
new house looks out upon a concrete
highway, smooth as floor, stretching
away to Florida, over which the won
der wagons roll in ceaseless process
sion; upon new age of ceaseless
change and wondrous achievements.
The new home is, as we have said,
beautiful structure of brick and
stone. 1t has fourteen rooms, is
equipped with furnace heat, electric
lights and every modern convenience
and that its owners may long live in
! it in health and happiness will be the
wish Of all who know them.