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at the turn of the 20th century Fairrove
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Michigan stood as a small but thriving
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farming community in the heart of
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Tuscola County settled in the mid 1800s
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Fairrove developed as agriculture
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expanded across Michigan's Thumb region
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fueled by wheat beans and sugarbeat
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farming the images from the early 1900s
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tell the story of a self-sufficient town
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anchored by modest brick and wood-framed
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buildings steiner's drugstore built in
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1900 offered residents remedies
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newspapers and conversation a vital
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meeting point for a close-knit rural
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community down the street businesses
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like the local garage sold gasoline
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signaling the gradual arrival of
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automobiles alongside horsedrawn wagons
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the Pear Marquette Railroad Depot played
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a crucial role in Fairro's economy
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trains moved crops and goods to larger
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markets connecting farmers with Detroit
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Sageno and beyond the town elevator
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towering above nearby buildings
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underscored the area's dependence on
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agriculture its stored and shipped grain
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grown in the rich Thumb soils
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fair Grove streets captured in bird's
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eye views and roadside scenes were wide
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and unpaved lined with young trees and
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wooden sidewalks stores churches and
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homes were clustered tightly together
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creating a walkable village atmosphere
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early gasoline pumps and parked Model
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T's hinted at modernization but life
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remained rooted in agriculture and small
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by the 1910s and 1920s Fairro's growth
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mirrored that of many rural Michigan
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towns steady modest and centered around
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family farming these postcards offer a
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rare glimpse of daily life when the town
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was entering a new century but still
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deeply tied to its pioneer roots
