Pine River – Gardiner, Grebe, Silbo, Rohr, Anderson, Bakers, Champ, Amy, Allen and Hill.
In Pine River, these names are almost synonymous with the city's businesses, especially along Barkley Street.
Today, only a few remain, as these important figures in Pine River history have grown old, died or retired. Despite this, some might say that Barclay Street is livelier than it has been in years.
Contributed by: Emily Hedberg
What these community pioneers did years ago, a new generation of business owners has stepped in to continue, and the city's future looks promising.
Some buildings passed from hand to hand without closing completely. Sherri Lillisch, daughter of Pine River business owners Roger and Wendy Hublin, joined the Pine River hair care community when AC Hair Co. opened. in the spring of 2023 in the former Sheldon Masonry showroom.
Just five years ago, Janelle Andrews joined the salon community by purchasing her Shear Grace salon from Leigh Metcalf.
Although Steve Norman had to close his company of 46 years, Pine River Carpet, in 2023, Emalee and Sam Hedberg purchased the building almost immediately as a new base of operations for their company, ServPro.
Likewise, when Bonnie Eller left the Cozy Cottage Café in 2023, she moved on to Jana Johnson, who reopened it as The Barclay, embracing the street name and Pine River history.
Pine River has long had a bakery, although it has changed hands several times during its 100-plus year history. Recently, Christy Miller has taken the reins, wowing locals with classics like sawdust rolls and new desserts like salted pecan roll cake.
The former Griep's Jewelry, which was also owned by city residents, dropped the shiny accessories when Mike and Carol Griep retired in 2014, selling to Marie Didier. Didier sold it to Marion and Christina Lane, making them the last to inherit the property business, Pine River DMV, from 1959.
In 2018, Pine River said a sad goodbye to John and Jackie (Silbaugh) Wetrosky's store on Barclay Avenue after 71 years of tradition. Jackie's family ran the store as Silbaugh's Department Store.
It didn't stay empty for long, as they sold to Sharon and Gavin Gensmer, who bought the city's fitness center and moved it into the former department store, renaming it 218 Fitness.
In 2022, the fitness center got new owners and a new name again when it was purchased by a young couple, Henry and Ariel Kreklaw.
Recently, one of Pine River's biggest symbols of community togetherness gained new owners. The Pine River Community Bowling Alley, which was built using capital funds raised by other city business owners, from Tom Walters to Bill and Sandy Zoldi, with the support of their daughter Tammy, changed hands in 2017.
Some Pine River buildings did not transition smoothly to new owners. Some remained vacant before buyers were found, but even these properties proved to be valuable real estate.
The former Iron Hills Gun and Pawn is now home to Emily Rader's Black Sheep Designs. A former library is home to Pine River Ink under the management of Kenny Charpentier. The former funeral home became Lifehouse Coffee in 2016 after Riverview Church purchased the property. The former Dark Cravings Coffee is home to Esther Endicott's Serenity Now Yarn and Alpaca Shop.
In 2019, the Essentia Health clinic building in Pine River next to Norway Brook Dam closed once the more advanced facility was built on the other end of Barclay Street. The building remained empty until 2021, when Christina Britton opened Central Lakes Dermatology Center in the building.
The new clinic building also led to the closure of the adjacent Lakes Pharmacy. Residents finally got what they wanted in the spring of 2023 when Robert Walton opened the now-famous Damisite Supper Club, where people used to go to refill their prescriptions.
Even the park across the street is new and shiny.
For years, one building on the corner sat empty except for booth tables, eclectic decor and a soda fountain after Ole and Lena's closed. Finally, in 2019, Cy and Lisa Struss decided to date the building back to when it was a pharmacy, formerly a Pfeiffer Drug Store.
It reopened as GuidePoint Pharmacy, but kept the old soda counter, eventually opening it for cold summer treats.
Even the residents of Pine River were surprised when the seemingly impossible happened. The former ALCO building was finally sold and reopened as a tractor supply company in 2022.
Of course, not all businesses along Barclay Street are new. Gardiner Appliances remains a source of pride for the city.
Pine River Insurance and Hanneken Insurance remain the highest-mileage local insurance companies.
Partners at Eyecare are still caring for Pine River's vision needs, and gas stations, fast food restaurants, grocery stores, auto parts stores, real estate agencies, Pine River American Legion and other businesses along side streets along the Interstate 371 corridor are still going strong. Strong as ever.
The last time the Pine River business community grew the way it does today, it made local history. It's possible that 30 years from now, there will be a new list of names that come to mind when someone says “Barclay Street.”
