Almont, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Almont is a village in Lapeer County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 2,803 at the 2000 census
. The village is located within Almont Township
.
Almont was first settled in 1828 by James Deneen. It received a post office in 1835 named Bristol, for Oliver Bristol, the second permanent settler. The village was plat
ted as Newburg in 1836. James Thompson, who donated the town clock that is located in the steeple of the First Congregational Church, is said to have proposed the name "Almont" in 1846 to honor the Mexican
general, Juan Almonte." This interpretation of the naming of the town (after General Almonte), although it is a version backed up by a newspaper story, and recorded in Hildamae Bowman's book on the history of Almont (Almont,The Tale of Then and Now, 1985) is open to question.
In 2000, John Doppke, a member of the Almont Historical Society, wrote "The myth of Almont being named after a Mexican General is widespread and often quoted as fact, but there is no basis for it. It would have been treasonous to name a town after an obscure Mexican General so near the time of the Mexican War. (Almont sent several men to fight in that war.) The area was known for prominent Indian burial mounds and was most likely given the name for that reason. The name Almont is still known in Ayrshire (Scotland) and in fact there is an Almont hotel there (in the town of Ayr). It refers to an old earthworks mound in the area. Unfortunately Hildamae Bowman published the Mexican story in her book and implied it had something to do with the donation for the town clock. In fact, the renaming of the town and the money left to purchase the clock happened many years apart."
We can make a case that "Almont" is originally from Scottish derivation, referring to "auld mound", early burial hills that were landmarks in the Ayrshire region of Scotland. Almont was the heart of a pioneering Scottish Settlement that formed in the 1830s (roughly 1830 to 1870). About 200 Scottish families left Ayrshire, Scotland and came to live in southeastern Michigan. There are many old mounts in Ayrshire where these families originated. In the township of Bruce, in Macomb County, Michigan (near Almont) there is a very prominent Indian mound that was so obvious Scottish pioneers used it as a landmark. It is not a far stretch of the imagination to suggest that a mound in the Almont region led the pioneers to call the area "auld mound", or Almont.
In the book "Aryshire, Discovering a County", this sentence appears on page 350: "Just west of the bridge across the Stinchar (river) is the farm of Almont, the name probably deriving from "Auld Mound", being descriptive of the motte hill that lies immediately to the north east of the farm." This quote refers to the area near the town of Colmonell in Ayrshire, Scotland. In Colmonell, a reference on Rootsweb refers to "... a blacksmith at Almont"; and "John Snell was born about 1629 in what is now Almont Farm at Pinwherry, a hamlet in the Ayrshire parish of Colmonell".
No historical documents provide a definitive derivation for the name Almont. Besides the above two theories (named for General Almonte, or referring to "auld mound"), other associations could have contributed.
Geographically, in Scotland the word "Almont" was used interchangeably with the word "Almond". On a Scottish map, for example, one finds "Glen Almont" followed by the parenthetical (Glen Almond).
There is also a Scottish surname "Almont" with a family crest and coat of arms. The surname Calmont (also Almont) is of French origin. It became Macalmont in Scotland, which is really "Mac Almont", the same as in Mac Donald, or Mac Dougal, etc.
Other towns are named Almond in the United States and in Canada. Perhaps the most relevant of these is a Canadian Scottish community in Ontario, Canada. A county called Lanark (after the Scottish town of Lanark in southern Scotland) was settled by Scottish immigrants in Ontario prior to the time when the Lapeer Scottish settlement began to develop in Michigan. In Lanark, Canada is a township called "Almonte". Some of the pioneers who ended up in Lapeer may have come by way of Lanark, Canada. The name could therefore have migrated from Ontario to Michigan. The town of Almonte, Canada was named for the Mexican General Juan Almonte. The website for Almonte, Canada contains the rationale for this choice. The Canadians were not at war with Mexico and their motives make sense in a historical context.
Almont incorporated as a village in 1855.
, the village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all land. The village center of Almont is located at the crossing of M-53
and St. Clair Road. To the east, St. Clair is known as Almont Road, and to the west it is known as General Squire Road. In addition, this is also sometimes deemed as "40 Mile Road", although the nearby ascending "mile roads" officially end at "37 Mile Road". Nearby towns include Bruce Township
and Romeo
to the south; Dryden
to the northwest; Imlay City
to the north; and Allenton to the east, and Capac
to the northeast. Almont is approximately 40 miles (64.4 km) north of Detroit.
of 2000, there were 2,803 people, 1,022 households, and 747 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,857.2 per square mile (716.7/km²). There were 1,058 housing units at an average density of 701.0 per square mile (270.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.54% White, 0.32% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 2.32% from other races
, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.14% of the population.
There were 1,022 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the village the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,984, and the median income for a family was $63,261. Males had a median income of $50,644 versus $26,667 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $21,252. About 4.2% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
. Jimmy moved to the Village of Almont in May of 2009, and currently resides in Almont today.
Lapeer County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 87,904 people, 30,729 households, and 23,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 134 people per square mile . There were 32,732 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The population was 2,803 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The village is located within Almont Township
Almont Township, Michigan
Almont Township is a civil township of Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,041 at the 2000 census.The Village of Almont is located within the township.-Geography:...
.
Almont was first settled in 1828 by James Deneen. It received a post office in 1835 named Bristol, for Oliver Bristol, the second permanent settler. The village was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted as Newburg in 1836. James Thompson, who donated the town clock that is located in the steeple of the First Congregational Church, is said to have proposed the name "Almont" in 1846 to honor the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
general, Juan Almonte." This interpretation of the naming of the town (after General Almonte), although it is a version backed up by a newspaper story, and recorded in Hildamae Bowman's book on the history of Almont (Almont,The Tale of Then and Now, 1985) is open to question.
In 2000, John Doppke, a member of the Almont Historical Society, wrote "The myth of Almont being named after a Mexican General is widespread and often quoted as fact, but there is no basis for it. It would have been treasonous to name a town after an obscure Mexican General so near the time of the Mexican War. (Almont sent several men to fight in that war.) The area was known for prominent Indian burial mounds and was most likely given the name for that reason. The name Almont is still known in Ayrshire (Scotland) and in fact there is an Almont hotel there (in the town of Ayr). It refers to an old earthworks mound in the area. Unfortunately Hildamae Bowman published the Mexican story in her book and implied it had something to do with the donation for the town clock. In fact, the renaming of the town and the money left to purchase the clock happened many years apart."
We can make a case that "Almont" is originally from Scottish derivation, referring to "auld mound", early burial hills that were landmarks in the Ayrshire region of Scotland. Almont was the heart of a pioneering Scottish Settlement that formed in the 1830s (roughly 1830 to 1870). About 200 Scottish families left Ayrshire, Scotland and came to live in southeastern Michigan. There are many old mounts in Ayrshire where these families originated. In the township of Bruce, in Macomb County, Michigan (near Almont) there is a very prominent Indian mound that was so obvious Scottish pioneers used it as a landmark. It is not a far stretch of the imagination to suggest that a mound in the Almont region led the pioneers to call the area "auld mound", or Almont.
In the book "Aryshire, Discovering a County", this sentence appears on page 350: "Just west of the bridge across the Stinchar (river) is the farm of Almont, the name probably deriving from "Auld Mound", being descriptive of the motte hill that lies immediately to the north east of the farm." This quote refers to the area near the town of Colmonell in Ayrshire, Scotland. In Colmonell, a reference on Rootsweb refers to "... a blacksmith at Almont"; and "John Snell was born about 1629 in what is now Almont Farm at Pinwherry, a hamlet in the Ayrshire parish of Colmonell".
No historical documents provide a definitive derivation for the name Almont. Besides the above two theories (named for General Almonte, or referring to "auld mound"), other associations could have contributed.
Geographically, in Scotland the word "Almont" was used interchangeably with the word "Almond". On a Scottish map, for example, one finds "Glen Almont" followed by the parenthetical (Glen Almond).
There is also a Scottish surname "Almont" with a family crest and coat of arms. The surname Calmont (also Almont) is of French origin. It became Macalmont in Scotland, which is really "Mac Almont", the same as in Mac Donald, or Mac Dougal, etc.
Other towns are named Almond in the United States and in Canada. Perhaps the most relevant of these is a Canadian Scottish community in Ontario, Canada. A county called Lanark (after the Scottish town of Lanark in southern Scotland) was settled by Scottish immigrants in Ontario prior to the time when the Lapeer Scottish settlement began to develop in Michigan. In Lanark, Canada is a township called "Almonte". Some of the pioneers who ended up in Lapeer may have come by way of Lanark, Canada. The name could therefore have migrated from Ontario to Michigan. The town of Almonte, Canada was named for the Mexican General Juan Almonte. The website for Almonte, Canada contains the rationale for this choice. The Canadians were not at war with Mexico and their motives make sense in a historical context.
Almont incorporated as a village in 1855.
Education
Almont has three schools. Orchard Primary for Preschool through 4th grade, Almont Middle School for 5th through 8th grade, and Almont High School for 9th through 12th grade. Almont’s school district website is http://www.almont.k12.mi.us/Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), all land. The village center of Almont is located at the crossing of M-53
M-53 (Michigan highway)
M-53 is a gateway route to The Thumb region of the US state of Michigan, carrying vacationers to the many cottages and resorts located on Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron in the vicinity of Caseville and Port Austin. This highway is also used to transport agricultural and manufactured products from the...
and St. Clair Road. To the east, St. Clair is known as Almont Road, and to the west it is known as General Squire Road. In addition, this is also sometimes deemed as "40 Mile Road", although the nearby ascending "mile roads" officially end at "37 Mile Road". Nearby towns include Bruce Township
Bruce Township, Macomb County, Michigan
Bruce Township is a civil township of Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 8,158. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 8,757.-Geography:...
and Romeo
Romeo, Michigan
Romeo is a village in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,721 at the 2000 census. The village is situated at the southeast corner of Bruce Township, with a portion extending south into Washington Township. Armada Township is adjacent to the east and Ray Township to the...
to the south; Dryden
Dryden, Michigan
Dryden is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 815 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Dryden Township.-Education:...
to the northwest; Imlay City
Imlay City, Michigan
Imlay City is a city in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,869 at the 2000 census and 3,597 at the 2010 census.-Education:Imlay City has five public schools and one private school...
to the north; and Allenton to the east, and Capac
Capac, Michigan
Capac is a village in Mussey Township, St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,775 at the 2000 census.-History:Capac was founded and platted by a group of men from Romeo headed by George R. Funstan and Judge DeWitt C. Walker in 1857. The judge named it after Huayna...
to the northeast. Almont is approximately 40 miles (64.4 km) north of Detroit.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,803 people, 1,022 households, and 747 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,857.2 per square mile (716.7/km²). There were 1,058 housing units at an average density of 701.0 per square mile (270.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.54% White, 0.32% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 2.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.14% of the population.
There were 1,022 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the village the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,984, and the median income for a family was $63,261. Males had a median income of $50,644 versus $26,667 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $21,252. About 4.2% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
Notable Resident
Jimmy Gregerson- Guitar player of the International American pop/rock band I See StarsI See Stars
I See Stars is a post-hardcore band formed in 2006 from Warren, Michigan. They have released two full length albums. Their debut album, 3-D, featured a guest appearance from Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album peaked at #176 on the Billboard 200...
. Jimmy moved to the Village of Almont in May of 2009, and currently resides in Almont today.