It is not known if Tienhaara had permanent residents. The lands belonged to the mansion and perhaps a crofter tried his luck a couple of centuries ago. The road from Vyborg to the south has always gone through Tienhaara.
Growth of the area was affected by incorporation of the so-called Old Finland into the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812, opening of Saimaa Canal in the 1850s, and building of the railway in 1870. The improved traffic conditions created the setting for the industrial growth. In the 20th century industry was established in Tienhaara. Tienhaara was incorporated into Vyborg in 1933.
In the 1930s Tienhaara had a railway station and a lot of industry but was only sparsely populated. For example, Kotimaan Lakkitehdas Oy, Tienhaaran Valssimylly, Runolinnan Kauppapuutarha, H. Isermannin puusepänliike, oat, rice and wheat mill of Karjalan Mylly Oy, Merijoen Taimistot, Tienhaaran Auto Oy, Tienhaaraan Kattohuopateollisuus Oy, Tienhaaran Mallastehdas, Tienhaaran Sikuri Oy, Tienhaaran Tilketehdas Oy, Tienhaaran Öljytehdas Oy, fur factory and dye house of Viipurin Turkisvärjäämö Oy, V. Hauhia ja Kumppanien korjauspaja ja peltisepänliike, and office of Oy Semptalin Ab were located in Tienhaara.
An aviation regiment was located at Suur-Merijoki airport. Aero Oy started air traffic in 1937 with two De Havilland planes. The flight to Malmi airport in Helsinki took an hour. There were two flights daily. As the airport was used by the air force, a new civil airport was planned east of Vyborg about six kilometres from the town centre.