Editing Mount Clemens, Michigan (section)

==History==
Mount Clemens was first surveyed in 1795 after the [[American Revolutionary War|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 (Michigan soldier)|John Stockton]] as the first postmaster. Christian Clemens is buried at Clemens Park, located just north of downtown.<ref name="google"/><ref name="Pure"/>

[[Indian mound]]s were in the vicinity, more specifically just north of the [[Clinton River (Michigan)|Clinton River]] near the present location of [[Selfridge Air National Guard Base]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://turtletalk.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/pilling-indian-earthworks-near-mt-clemens.pdf |first1=Arnold R. |last1=Pilling |title=A Use of Historical Sources in Archeology: An Indian Earthworks Near Mt. Clemens, Michigan |date=December 18, 2007 |id=http://www.jstor.org |publisher=[[Wayne State University]] |accessdate=March 11, 2023}}</ref>

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.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=History of Macomb County, Michigan: Containing an Account of Its Settlement, Growth, Development and Resources, Churches, Schools and Societies; Portraits of Prominent Men and Early Settlers|date=1882|first1=M.A. |last1=Leeson|publisher=Leeson|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Tz8VAAAAYAAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Tz8VAAAAYAAJ/page/n225 297]|access-date=2014-12-06}}</ref><ref name="Pure">[https://www.michigan.org/article/trip-idea/how-did-michigan-cities-get-their-names How Did Michigan Cities Get Their Names?] [[Pure Michigan]]</ref>

[[File:City Hall - Mount Clemens, Michigan (1900).jpg|thumb|left|City Hall, 1900]]

The Mount Clemens Public Library opened in 1865.<ref>''[[Macomb Daily]]'', July 14, 2015</ref>

Historically, Mount Clemens' largest industry for more than 100 years, from 1873 to 1974, was tourism related to the [[mineral spa|mineral bath]]s, 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bathcityusa.com/ |title=Archived copy |website=www.bathcityusa.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807173435/http://www.bathcityusa.com/ |archive-date=7 August 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Olympia Salon & Spa, located in the Martha Washington Sanitarium on Cass Avenue, is again offering mineral baths.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

From about 1898 to 1950, the [[Mount Clemens Sugar Company]] operated, processing [[sugar beet]]s into refined sugar.

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