Genesee

1836

From a Seneca (Iroquoian) word, " je-nis-hi-yeh ," meaning "beautiful valley":  the county was named after the valley in western New York State from which many area settlers came.

Genesee County , Michigan 's fourth largest, is located in southeastern Michigan . It was organized in 1836, named after Genesee County , New York , in an effort to attract settlers from there. The name means: " Beautiful Valley ," which is a good description of the area. It attracted settlers as early as 1829, with Jacob Smith from Quebec as the first. Others, such as Luman Beach , Addison Stewart, Rubin Mc Crory and Simon King came a few years later, founding the Village of Geneseeville , just a few miles east of Mt. Morris , (which now is the site of the famous Huckleberry Railroad.) The county grew quickly during the lumber era, especially Flint , which was a good location for sorting and processing lumber floated down the Flint River . A key player in the development of the county was William Durant, who started a carriage factory in Flint , and later invested in a then struggling auto company by the name of Buick. In 1909, he mass-produced a car designed by Louis Chevrolet, and the rest was history: a merger called General Motors.


Today, Genesee County remains on the grow, with half of its villages and cities considered a part of the greater Flint area. It still retains its history and country charm, however, with many turn-of-the-century buildings preserved in its smaller towns, such as Flushing , Fenton , Linden and Gaines , to name a few. There is always something to see and do in Genesee County . Come and check it out for yourself!

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen , MultiMag , Inc.

Mount Morris is located about three miles north of Flint . It is known for its proximity to the Huckleberry Railroad to the east, the showcase of Genesee County . Mount Morris functions primarily as an adjunct/commuter city to the greater Flint area. It also has many small businesses and mid-sized manufacturing facilities.

This area was one of the first to be settled in Genesee County , along with Geneseeville , where the Huckleberry Railroad is located. It was first settled by Benjamin Pearson in 1833. A major road in Flint is named after him today. It was given a post office in 1837 with Charles Beecher, another notable figure to the area after whom a suburb was also named, as the first postmaster. Originally called Genesee, and then Dover , it was finally incorporated as Mount Morris in 1867, after the city of the same name in New York , where many of the settlers came from.

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen , MultiMag , Inc.

Flint , the third largest city in Michigan , is the Genesee County seat. Flint's recorded history dates back to 1819 when Jacob Smith and his Chippewa Indian wife opened up a trading post here, calling it Grand Traverse. In 1825, Jacob Stevens from New York state became the area's first settler. After undergoing a few more name changes, like "Todd's Crossing" and " Sidney ", it was called "Flint River" after the Indian name: " Pawanunking ," referring to the rocky river bed. Shortened to " Flint " in 1836, it was incorporated as a city in 1855.

Much of Flint 's growth can be credited to the development of the auto industry: The first car designed by Louis Chevrolet was produced here, with the help of Will Durant who formed General Motors. Also, Flint 's downtown area has developed into one of Michigan 's finest showcases, hosting a diverse business culture and highlighting a fantastic river walk complete with fountains, maze-like diversions and points of interest. Most importantly, the people of Flint continue to reflect the tradition of hard work and the ability to tough it out through change and hard times. Experience Flint and experience a large portion of what America is all about!

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen , MultiMag , Inc.

Flushing is located about 7 miles west of Flint in Genesee County .

Situated on the Flint River , this picturesque town showcases many well-preserved turn-of-the-century style buildings along with a Victorian style train depot across the river. There are many unique shops on the main street with a scenic river walk on the south side of the bridge.

Flushing was first settled as a lumber town in 1836 when Charles Seymour, the first resident, and Horace Jerome partnered to build a sawmill here. It received a post office in 1839. It was named after the township by the Michigan Legislature after it was found that the proposed name, Dover , had already been used. It was incorporated as a village in 1877.

Fenton is located in eastern Genesee County . It was first settled in 1834 by Clark Dibble and originally called Dibbleville . In 1837, William Fenton and Robert LeRoy purchased a large plot of land there and registered it under the name of Fentonville . LeRoy built a hotel there the same year and also became the postmaster. Later, Fenton went on to become lieutenant governor of Michigan . The town incorporated with the name of Fenton in 1863.

Today, the downtown area retains much of its historical look while at the same time including a town square-style shopping plaza nearby. The Shiawassee River also flows over a dam through the park in the center of town. The park is overlooked by city hall and includes an old fashioned gazebo and walkway by the river.

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen , Multimag , Inc.

Linden is located in southern Genesee County in the "Lakes Area," headwaters of the Shiawassee River . This very scenic and historic town features an old mill, (referred to as Linden Mills), complete with water wheel on Tupper Lake , created by a dam on its creek. It also features a small downtown shopping area among old Victorian style buildings containing several antique, gift and unique item shops.

This town was first established by Consider Warner and Eben Harris who built the sawmill here in 1840. It was incorporated as a village in 1871. It was named after the Linden tree , a sort of basswood tree that grew prominently in the area.

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen , MultiMag , Inc.

Gaines is located on Genesee County's eastern border to the south. This is a small rural town that has survived the years through support from the successful farming community surrounding it, along with its proximity to Flint , approximately ten miles to the northeast. A notable landmark here is the Victorian style brick depot at the center of town, the first building built here in 1856, when the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad came through.

The town was originally settled in 1836 by Hartford Cargill and named after a General E. P. Gaines, a friend of a local resident. Known for awhile as Gaines Station and later as Covert, it was finally organized as the village of Gaines in 1902.

Photos courtesy of:
Ken Huisjen , MultiMag , Inc.

Registered Site S0644
Erected 1994

Flint , Genesee County

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