Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States

🇺🇸 Mount Clemens is a city located in Macomb County Michigan. It is also the county seat of Macomb County. Historically, Mount Clemens' largest industry for more than 100 years, from 1873 to 1974, was tourism related to the mineral baths, drawn from springs that were scattered throughout the city. Such mineral baths were very popular and were tourist destinations. At the peak of the industry, the city had 11 bathhouses and several hotels related to this trade.

History Mount Clemens was first surveyed in 1795 after the Revolutionary War by Christian Clemens, who settled there four years later. Clemens and his friend, John Brooks, built a distillery, which attracted workers and customers, helping to settle the area. Brooks and Clemens platted the land, and the town was named after Clemens in 1818. It received a post office in 1821, with John Stockton as the first postmaster. Christian Clemens is buried at Clemens Park, located just north of downtown.

Indian mounds were in the vicinity, more specifically just north of the Clinton River near the present location of Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

The settlement filed for incorporation as a village in 1837, but this was not acted upon by the legislature until 1851. It was incorporated as a city in 1879. It became the seat of Macomb County on March 11, 1818.

Historically, Mount Clemens' largest industry for more than 100 years, from 1873 to 1974, was tourism related to the mineral baths, drawn from springs that were scattered throughout the city. Such mineral baths were very popular and were tourist destinations. At the peak of the industry, the city had 11 bathhouses and several hotels related to this trade. The first bathhouse was built in 1873 and was known as "The Original"; it was located on the corner of Jones and Water streets. The bathhouse burned in 1883, but it was rebuilt even larger the following year to accommodate the crowds of customers. Over the years, noted visitors such as film actors Clark Gable and Mae West, athletes Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey, news magnate William Randolph Hearst, and the wealthy Vanderbilt family vacationed in the city to take advantage of the mineral springs baths.

The only remaining bathhouse building from this era is St. Joseph's Sanitarium and Bath House. It has recently been renamed as Select Specialty Hospital and is owned by Select Medical Corporation. This last bath house is in danger of being demolished, but the Friends of Historic Preservation are working with the city to preserve it.

The Olympia Salon & Spa, located in the Martha Washington Sanitarium on Cass Avenue, is again offering mineral baths.

From about 1898 to 1950, the Mount Clemens Sugar Company operated, processing sugar beets into refined sugar.

Throughout the late 20th century, the suburban expansion of metropolitan Detroit and its exurbs affected the city of Mt. Clemens as well as its surrounding townships.

Geography Mount Clemens is in south-central Macomb County, 20 miles (32 km) north-east of downtown Detroit, 37 miles (60 km) south-west of Port Huron, and 3 miles (5 km) west of Lake St. Clair. The Clinton River runs through the city. The city is almost completely surrounded by Clinton Township, except for the far east side which borders Harrison Township.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Mount Clemens has a total area of 4.21 square miles (10.90 km²), of which 4.09 square miles (10.59 km²) are land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km²), or 2.69%, are water.

Arts and culture • The Anton Art Center is a community gallery located in a former Carnegie library. • The Mock Turtle Press, and American Road Magazine, are published in Mount Clemens. • The Emerald Theatre is a concert venue in Mount Clemens.

Government The city government is composed of a mayor, the current being Laura Kropp, and a city council. The city has been facing financial hardships for some time. Approximately 42% of properties in the city are tax-exempt, resulting in lost revenue of $1.2 million. In an attempt to raise funds to combat a $960,000 budget deficit for 2010, former Mayor Barb Dempsey solicited donations to the city's general fund from tax-exempt organizations like churches, schools and a hospital, in order to pay for services like fire protection, streetlights and roads. The city already disbanded the 113-year-old police department in 2005 to cut costs. The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office now provides primary policing services in Mount Clemens. The deficit is projected to reach $1.5 million in 2011.

Education • Mount Clemens Community School District operates public schools. ◦ Mount Clemens High School

Transport • I-94 provides a connection north-east to Port Huron and to Detroit, which is to the southwest. • M-3 (Gratiot Ave) runs through the centre of Mount Clemens, roughly parallel to I-94 • M-59 (Hall Rd) passes north of the city limits, running west to Utica • M-97 (Groesbeck Hwy) passes through the west side of the city, roughly parallel to M-3

Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation bus route 560/565 Gratiot.

Canadian National provides Class 1 Freight service to Mount Clemens with the old Grand Trunk Western Detroit to Port Huron line.