Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,697 at the 2020 census. It is the seat of government of Macomb County.
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.
The Mount Clemens Public Library opened in 1865.
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, northeast of downtown Detroit, southwest of Port Huron, and 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 , of which are land and , or 2.69%, are water.
Climate
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,314 people, 6,714 households, and 3,542 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 7,582 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 70.0% White, 24.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 2.9% of the population.
There were 6,714 households, of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.2% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the city was 38.3 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.