My City February 2023

MYHISTORY

Fred A. Aldrich House 221 W. First Ave., Flint Built: 1892

One of Flint’s most influential homes built on perhaps the place of the city’s birth, the Fred A. Aldrich House sits near the very location where Jacob Smith set up his trading post in 1811. In 1873, the land was deeded to the First Baptist Church of Flint by Smith’s daughter, Louisa Payne. The church operated on the land from 1873-89. In 1892, developer Stephen Crocker built five houses on the land including the Aldrich house. Aldrich came to Flint with his family at the age of eight after his father purchased the Flint Globe newspaper. As

he grew up in Flint, he met and became lifelong friends with a boy by named Billy Durant. He grew up to help manage the Flint Globe and in 1880, started a newspaper of his own – the Otter Lake Enterprise Newspaper . In 1889, three years before he would purchase the house, he went to work for Durant as clerk of the Flint Road Cart Company and then in 1896, as sec retary of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company. Always one to have Durant’s ear, Aldrich helped get General Motors started by introducing Durant to James Whiting, President of the Buick Motor Company. Aldrich went on to have a hand in the construction of the Durant and Flint Tavern Hotels, the Community Chest, Flint Chapter of the American Red Cross, Flint Improvement Fund, Flint YMCA and the Flint Golf Club. One can imagine the meetings and conversations that took place within the walls of the Aldrich house between the giants of the Flint auto industry and philanthropy!

William S. Paterson House 402 E. 3rd St., Flint Built: 1885

Constructed for his son in 1885, the Paterson House is evidence of the handiwork of another of Flint’s automotive leaders,William A. Paterson. Born in Ontario, Canada in 1838, Paterson came to Flint in 1869 and opened a carriage shop on Saginaw St.While working on carriages, he turned his attention to home construction and built at least 12 dwell ings on E.Third St., three of which are still standing today. In 1890, Paterson would serve as Flint Mayor and later go on to found the Paterson Automobile Company and establish the famous Paterson building in Downtown Flint. The house would stay in the hands of his son, Wil liam S. Paterson until 1928 when it was purchased by

76

MYCITYMAG.COM