Extracted from:
Backtracking Pa's Roots
Summer Edition 1995
Volume 9 Number 2 Page

Recently, I was given a issue of The Boyne Citizen dated 29 December 1911, which contained several biographies of our County's early pioneers. The feature was entitled "With the Old Timers" and provided such interesting material that I felt it worthy of reprint here in our newsletter. The first to be detailed is this account of the life of Ash Herron, an early pioneer resident of Boyne City.

UNCLE ASH HERRON Ash Herron came here first in 1873 on a visit accompanied by Dr. Bennett. He liked the locality so well that he moved here from VanBuren County in 1876 and took up a homestead on Deer Lake. On his first trip up in '73 he had to walk from Walton Junction as that was as far north as the G.R.& I. was built, though they were working on the road north. There was but one house in Boyne City at that time and trading was done at Boyne Falls or Charlevoix and provisions were carried in on ones back. Later A.J. Beardsly and Cliff Batchellor opened a Iittle store in Boyne City and cut cord wood for steam boats and for the iron furnace at Ironton across the lake. Uncle Johnie Miller had a little saiIboat, the "Little Jack" which he used to get mail and supplies from Charlevoix. In the winter he drove or walked. Mr. Herron got his lumber from Traverse City and built a house on his homestead, 18 x 24. His son Willie was six and Clinton three-years-old. After he was here three or four years and had cleared and farmed by hand, he bought a fine yoke of four-year-old oxen of Hiram Wright for $130.00 and took logging jobs. His friends say that Uncle Ash was the best ox driver ever, and that by talking to them gently. His oxen would do anything by walk a slack wire. Snow come on then usually in October and stayed until May but the ground did not freeze. In 1878, a schoolhouse was built on Deer Lake and Mrs. Herron taught school. It was the first school house between Boyne Falls and Charlevoix. There were about six pupils in the district. Hr. Herron moved to Boyne City in 1890. Clinton was scaling logs for W.H. White and Willis was teaching school. In 1880 Mr. Herron bought 66 feet on what is now Water Street of Leonard Hull tor $75.00. It was then a windfall of tangled cedar and stumps, now it is occupied by Herron & Son's store and Kaden's and worth considerable more. Mr. Herron was postmaster under Cleveland's first administration and was followed by Ed. NewvilIe. [Editor's Note: Anyone interested in knowing more about the Herron family or having information to share, might wish to contact descendent, Janet Herron, 156 Dogwood Drive, Oakland, HI 48363. Janet is currently doing research on this family and may be able to assist you.]

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