Pine River Walking Tour

Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Historical & Cultural Grants program, the Heritage Group North has put together a walking history tour of downtown Pine River. Brochures are available at the Pine River Information Center (corner of Hwy 371 and Barclay Ave), as well as at several of the kiosks in downtown Pine River, or download the brochure here.

Here's a quick summary of the tour:

Pine River began in 1873 when George Barclay opened a trading post on the Leech Lake Trail. In 1894, a logging railroad built north through "Barclay's Ranch" and attracted many settlers. This lead to the formation of a city. Pine River's original business district, near the railroad depot, has a rich and colorful history. This walking tour highlights some of the towns' more prominent downtown structures, several of which no longer exist. Very few of the buildings were designed by architects or built in a particular architectural style, yet people too great pride in their buildings.

  1. Pine River Railway Depot (102 Barclay Ave W, c 1895)
  2. Cozy Theater/Newspaper Office (109 First Street S, c 1915)
  3. First State Bank Building (200 Barclay Ave, c 1903)
  4. Hill Hardware Building (2004 Barclay Ave, c. 1916)
  5. Memorial Hall/Marlow Theater (240 Barclay Ave, c. 1920)
  6. United Methodist Church (348 Barclay Ave, c 1902)
  7. Pine River Dam (River Street, c. 1910)
  8. Pine River Public School/Pine River Clinic (403 Barclay Ave, c 1903)
  9. Lindberg Building (303 Barclay Ave., c 1911)
  10. Bert Michener's Auto Garage/Houston Motor (245 Barclay Ave., c 1920)
  11. Farmers State Bank Building (203 Barclay Ave., c1917)
  12. Pine River Army Reserve Armory (200 Front Street N, c 1921)
  13. Horse-Drawn Fire Engine (102 Barclay Ave W, c 1919)