Genesee County MI Archives Biographies.....Pierson, Herman L. 1837 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 24, 2007, 1:17 am

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

HERMAN L. PIERSON, President of the Thread Flouring Mill Company, which is one
of the largest in the State, and also one of the Directors of the First National
Bank of Flint, was born in Livingston County, N. Y., in 1837, on the 16th of
August, and is a son of William S., a native of the same place. The grandfather,
Col. Benjamin Pierson, was a native of Connecticut and both an hotel keeper and
a farmer. At the age of fourteen he took his brother's place in the
Revolutionary Army and although barefooted, cold and almost starved he drove a
team across the mountains and served as a soldier through the remainder of the
conflict. He became an early settler in Western New York, assisted in building a
mill at Honeoye Falls and afterward settled in Avon, where he helped to survey
the Genesee Valley and finally turned his attention to hotel-keeping. He took
part also in the War of 1812 and was raised to the rank of Colonel. He was a
strong member of the Baptist Church and died at the age of seventy-five. The
family is of English descent and the first representative in this country was
Abraham Pierson, who came from Yorkshire about the year 1642 and was the father
of Abraham Jr., who became the first President of Yale College.

  The father of our subject married Miss Fanny Ladd, a native of Avon, N. Y.,
and in 1840 came to Genesee County, Mich., settling in Genesee Township, which
was his home until his death in 1878. He was one of the most prominent men in
his neighborhood and influential in everyway, and an active member of the
Presbyterian Church. The mother of our subject died in Genesee Township at the
age of seventy-two. Herman Pierson was the eldest in a family of six children
and had his early training in this county. His boyhood was enlivened by hunting
and pioneer sports and his intercourse with the Indians gave him quite an
understanding of their language. His education was received in the district
schools and at the age of twenty-one he came into possession of one hundred and
twenty acres in Mt. Morris Township, which in 1874 he sold to his brother.

  In 1873 Mr. Pierson came to Flint and engaged in the milling business, buying
a half interest in the Thread Mills and going into partnership with J. P.
Burroughs. They have improved the mill from time to time introducing better
methods but in June 1879 they met with a great disaster in its destruction by
fire. They at once re-built putting in better machinery and improvements in
every way. The Thread Mills were incorporated under the laws of the State in
1886 and two years later our subject became the President of the company. The
mills are located on the Thread River and are situated on one hundred and twenty
acres of land, half of which is within the corporation and the other half in
Burton Township. Their elevator has a capacity of thirty-five thousand bushels
and the capacity of the mill is three hundred and fifty barrels a day. A track
connects the mill with the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad and they ship to
Philadelphia and Baltimore besides disposing of one hundred barrels a day in the
State. Their cooper shops which are rented to the Soper Manufacturing Company
are also on the same tract of land. Besides their fine water-power they have a
two hundred horse-power steam engine.

  The fine farm of our subject comprises three hundred acres in Genesee
Township, and upon it are raised fine crops of grain and a superior grade of
stock and all is under the supervision of its owner. He was married in 1867 to
Miss Adaline S. Jenks, of Mendon, N. Y., by whom he had one child, William J.
Mrs. Pierson departed this life June 5, 1871. He was married the second time in
Leroy, Genesee County, N. Y., in 1875, to Miss Mary E. Calvert, a native of that
place. Their two children are Carrie C. and Floyd G., and their beautiful home
is at the corner of Church and Eighth Streets. The family is connected with the
First Presbyterian Church and this gentleman was one of the Building Committee
and is a trustee and has been on the Board of Elders. He is a Democrat but not
radical in his views and he belongs to the Free and Accepted Masons, the Royal
Arch Masons and the Royal Arcanum.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892

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