The town of Paines was in James Township, and the CDP was located on Dutch Road, between River Roads and Stroebel Roads.The History of Paines goes way back to Bay City businessman James Fraser, In 1833 he traveled from Detroit to the Saginaw Valley by horseback following the indian trails. When he got to the Tittabawassee River, the only place to cross was in the area near present day Shields next to an indian camp. He liked the area so much, that he planted an orchard which flourished into one of the largest orchards in the state. I wonder if the current orchards derived from the orchard that Fraser had started so long ago.

After his death in 1866, his daughter and her husband A. B. Paine inherited the farm and orchard. I could not find any information about A.B. Paine other than,  he had a brick manufacturing plant. I know the area along the Tittabawassee River was an excellent spot for clay, and there were a few brick manufacturers in the area.  In the town of Paines there was a station at the junction of the Michigan Central and the Pere Marquette rail lines. A post office named “Painesville” was established on October 10, 1873, closed on May 29, 1876, and reopened on July 14, 1876. The office was renamed “Paines” on October 19, 1880 and continued until June 30, 1904

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