Mount Clemens, Michigan
Encyclopedia
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"....
. As of 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 city population was 17,312. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Macomb County
Macomb County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 788,149 people, 309,203 households, and 210,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,640 people per square mile . There were 320,276 housing units at an average density of 667 per square mile...
.
Early history
Mount Clemens was first surveyed in 1795 by Christian Clemens, who settled there four years later. Clemens and his friend, John Brooks, built a distillery, which helped 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. It filed for incorporation as a village in 1837, but it was not acted upon until 1851. It was later incorporated as a city in 1879. Christian Clemens is buried at Clemens Park, located just north of downtown. It became the seat of Macomb County on March 11, 1818.Bath House era
Historically, Mount Clemens' largest industry was the mineral bathMineral spa
Mineral spas are resorts developed around naturally occurring mineral spring locales.- Origins :Spas grew in reputation in the nineteenth century on into the late middle-twentieth century for their purported healing or healthful benefits to those wealthy enough to partake of their waters...
s that were scattered throughout the city from 1873 until 1974. The city once encompassed 11 bathhouses and several hotels at its peak. The first bathhouse was built in 1873 and was known as “The Original” and was located on the corner of Jones and Water Street. The bathhouse remained until 1883 when the building burned, yet was rebuilt in 1884 and accommodated larger crowds. Over the years, noted visitors such as film actors Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
and Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, athletes Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
and Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
, news magnate William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
, and the Vanderbilt family
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch origin prominent during the Gilded Age. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy...
vacationed in the city for the bath industry.
The only remaining bathhouse from the bath era of Mount Clemens is St. Joseph's Sanitarium and Bath House, which has been recently renamed Select Specialty Hospital and owned by Select
Medical Corporation. This last bath house is in danger of being demolished while the Friends of Historic Preservation http://bathcityusa.com are working with the city to preserve it.
The Olympia Salon & Spa, located in the Martha Washington Sanitarium on Cass Ave, are rejuvenating the bath era by offering mineral baths once again.
Architecture
Mount Clemens has a wide variety of architectural styles in its residential areas. It features many historic homes, also. The most popular styles are craftsman homes, tudors, and bungalows.
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 city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²), nearly all of it land. The Clinton River
Clinton River
The Clinton River is a river in southeastern Michigan in the United States.The main branch of the river rises from wetlands in Springfield Township, Oakland County, northwest of Pontiac. A series of dams create a number of small lakes west of Pontiac, the last of which is Dawson's Millpond. The...
runs through the city. The city is almost completely surrounded by Clinton Township, except for the far east side which borders Harrison Township.
Demographics
Census
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 17,312 people, 7,073 households, and 3,854 families residing in the city. 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 4,107.0 per square mile (1,583.9/km²). There were 7,546 housing units at an average density of 1,790.2 per square mile (690.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.79% White, 19.61% African American, 0.73% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.76% 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 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.
There were 7,073 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% 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, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,856, and the median income for a family was $50,518. Males had a median income of $41,005 versus $27,896 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 city was $21,741. About 10.0% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2010 Mount Clemens had a population of 16,314. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 68.3% Non-Hispanic white, 24.8% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 3.6% repring two or more races and 2.9% Hispanic or Latino.
Government
The city government is composed of a mayor, the current being Barb DempseyBarb Dempsey
Barbel "Barb" Dempsey is the current mayor of Mount Clemens, Michigan, the county seat of Macomb County. An Independent, she is the city's third female mayor. As mayor, she initiated the Mount Clemens Downtown Program. Via this program, the city's downtown saw massive redevelopment, including...
, and a city council. City finances have been trouble 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, mayor Dempsey has 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 deficit is projected to reach $1.5 million in 2011.
Transportation
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I-94 Interstate 94 Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S... provides a quick connection northeast to Port Huron Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,... and to Detroit Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River... , which is to the southwest. |
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M-3 M-3 (Michigan highway) M-3 is a north–south state highway in the US state of Michigan in the Detroit metropolitan area. For most of its length, M-3 is known as Gratiot Avenue... (Gratiot Avenue) |
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M-59 M-59 (Michigan highway) M-59 is an east–west state trunkline highway that crosses the northern part of Metropolitan Detroit in the US state of Michigan. It runs between Howell at Interstate 96 and I-94 on the Chesterfield Township – Harrison Township line near the Selfridge Air National Guard Base... |
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M-97 M-97 (Michigan highway) M-97 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan. It runs from Detroit to north of Mt. Clemens following Groesbeck Highway. The highway starts south of 7 Mile Road and runs northeasterly through Macomb County suburbs to Hall Road, which takes the place of 20 Mile Road in the Mile... |
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) Bus Route *560/565 Gratiot.
Railroads
Canadian National provides Class 1 Freight service to Mt Clemens with the old Grand Trunk Western Detroit to Port Huron line.Culture
- The "Mock Turtle Press" as well as "American Road Magazine" are centered in Mount Clemens.
- In recent years "The Clem", as it is familiarly nicknamed, has become a center of nightlifeNightlifeNightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
for Macomb County, including many bars such as The Emerald Theatre (designed by C. Howard Crane who also designed Radio City Music Hall in New York, Orchesta Hall Detroit and Fox Theatre Detroit), The Rock Room, Johnny G's, Cush, Madisons Pub, Hayloft, The Bank, Crazy Eight's, Orleans Billiards, Montes Martini Lounge, RecBowl, Fritts' Pub, Your Mother's, Little Lorraines, and Fast Eddie's. - Rap/rock artist Kid RockKid RockRobert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
, who hails from nearby Romeo, MI, began his professional stage career as a DJ/rapper in Mt. Clemens, and it was here that he earned his nickname (from club patrons saying "look at that white kid rock").
Famous residents
- Dean CainDean CainDean Cain is an American actor. He is most widely known for his role as Clark Kent/Superman in the popular American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
, actor who is best known for starring on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action American television series based on the Superman comic books... - Dick EnbergDick EnbergRichard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
, sportscaster - Ian HornakIan HornakIan Hornak was an American draughtsman, painter and printmaker associated with the Hyperrealist and Photorealist art movements.-Biography:...
, artist - Mike IgnasiakMike IgnasiakMichael James Ignasiak is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of four seasons in the major leagues between and , all for the Milwaukee Brewers.Mike is the younger brother of fellow former major league pitcher Gary Ignasiak.-Sources:...
, former pitcher for the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League... - Chuck Inglish, Rapper of The Cool KidsThe Cool KidsThe Cool Kids is an American hip hop group. Consisting of rappers Antoine "Sir Michael Rocks" Reed and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll , the group is based in Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan...
- Connie KalittaConnie KalittaConrad "Connie" Kalitta is the CEO of Kalitta Air and a retired American drag racing driver, once known as "The Bounty Hunter".He grew up in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and was a 1957 graduate of Mount Clemens High School....
, drag racingDrag racingDrag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
driver - Scott KamienieckiScott KamienieckiScott Kamieniecki , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1991–2000 and played four years for the University of Michigan. He joined the New York Yankees in 1991....
, former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher - David KircusDavid KircusDavid Kircus is a gridiron football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft after playing college football at Grand Valley State University....
, wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Uncle KrackerUncle KrackerMatthew Shafer is an American rock musician known as Uncle Kracker. His singles include "Follow Me", "Smile", and "Drift Away". His music was more rap rock-based at the start of his career before turning in a more rock and Top 40 style music direction on later releases.-Biography:Shafer was born...
, singer - Tracy LeslieTracy LeslieTracy Leslie is an American professional stock car racer. He currently races in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, against his son, Billy. He also raced in the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series.- Early career :...
, NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver - Tommy MiltonTommy MiltonTommy Milton was an American race car driver best known as the first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was notable for having only one functional eye -- a disability that would have disqualified him from competing in modern motorsports.Born in St...
, deceased, two time winner of the Indianapolis 500Indianapolis 500The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
(1921 and 1923) - Richard A. SearfossRichard A. SearfossRichard Alan Searfoss is a retired United States Air Force colonel, NASA Astronaut and test pilot.-Early life:Searfoss was born on June 5, 1956, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, but considers Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to be his hometown...
, former astronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft.... - Lary SorensenLary SorensenLary Alan Sorensen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Milwaukee Brewers , St...
, former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher - Allen Henry VigneronAllen Henry Vigneron-References:-External links:[Oakland Diocese Biography http://www.oakdiocese.org/notes.htm]...
, Archbishop of DetroitRoman Catholic Archdiocese of DetroitThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne... - Wally WeberWally WeberWalter J. Weber was an American football player and coach at the University of Michigan. He played halfback and fullback for the Wolverines in 1925 and 1926 on the same teams as Benny Friedman and Bennie Oosterbaan. He later became an assistant football coach at Michigan for 28 years from 1931 to...
, University of Michigan football player, assistant football coach and Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
inductee