Editing St. Clair, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = St. Clair
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = Saint Clair
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = St Clair MI.JPG
|imagesize                = 275
|image_caption            = View from across the [[St. Clair River]]
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map            = Michigan
|pushpin_label_position = left<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_label          = St. Clair
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location within the state of Michigan
|pushpin_mapsize        = 
|image_map                = St. Clair (city), MI location.png
|mapsize                  = 250
|map_caption              = Location within [[St. Clair County, Michigan|St. Clair County]]

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Michigan]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[St. Clair County, Michigan|St. Clair]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]]
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Bill Cedar
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_26.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 21, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 9.37
|area_land_km2            = 7.61
|area_water_km2           = 1.75
|area_total_sq_mi         = 3.62
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.94
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.68

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 5464
|population_density_km2   = 717.64
|population_density_sq_mi = 1858.50

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 178
|elevation_ft             = 584
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|49|23|N|82|29|32|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
|postal_code              = 48079
|area_code                = [[Area code 810|810]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 26-70680<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1624881<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|http://www.cityofstclair.com/|Official website}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
}}
'''St. Clair''' is a city in [[St. Clair County, Michigan|St. Clair County]] in the eastern "[[The Thumb|Thumb]]" of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Michigan]]. The population was 5,485 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]]. The city is located on the [[St. Clair River]] near the southeast corner of [[St. Clair Township, Michigan|St. Clair Township]].

==Geography==
*According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|3.61|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|2.93|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.68|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-11-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=2012-01-25}}</ref>  The city is located along the St. Clair River.
* It lies in [[the Thumb]] of [[Michigan]].
**Saint Clair can also be considered as in the Blue Water area, a subregion of the Thumb.
*The City of St. Clair has much upscale housing along the [[St. Clair River]]. The Saint Clair area attracts many tourists from [[Metro Detroit]].

==Naming==
Located on the western banks of the [[St. Clair River]], the city's name is taken from the river. It was named for [[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake Saint Clair]], named by French explorers in the 17th century. The expedition of French explorer [[René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle]] entered the lake on August 12, 1679, the [[Calendar of saints|feast day]] of [[Clare of Assisi|Saint Clare of Assisi]], and named it ''Lac Sainte-Claire'' in her honor.<ref>Jenks, [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty&cc=micounty&idno=bad1042.0001.001&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=62 p. 22]</ref>

On English maps as early as 1710, the lake is labelled as Saint Clare (the latter the French spelling). The spelling was anglicized as early as the 1755 [[Mitchell Map]], when the lake's name was spelled as "St. Clair," as it is currently.<ref>Jenks, [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=bad1042.0001.001;didno=BAD1042.0001.001;view=image;seq=63;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset; pp. 23-24]</ref>

The name is sometimes attributed to honoring the [[American Revolutionary War]] General [[Arthur St. Clair]], who was President of the United States in Continental Congress during the drafting of the United States Constitution, and Governor of the [[Northwest Territory]], but the name was in use with the current spelling long before St. Clair was a notable figure. The earlier name of the lake may have been conflated with that of the general when officials were later naming some of the political entities near the lake and the river, such as [[St. Clair County, Michigan|St. Clair County]], [[St. Clair Township, Michigan|St. Clair Township]], and the cities of St. Clair and [[St. Clair Shores, Michigan|St. Clair Shores]].

Some have thought that the name was in honor of [[Patrick Sinclair]], a British officer who purchased land on the [[St. Clair River]] at the outlet of the [[Pine River (Michigan)|Pine River]]. There in 1764 he built [[Fort Sinclair]], which was in use for nearly twenty years before being abandoned.<ref>Fuller, [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=ARH7752.0001.001;didno=ARH7752.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000017 pp. 21-22]</ref>

==History==
St. Clair was first platted under the name of Palmer by Thomas Palmer in 1828.<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mistcla2/Andreas_St_Clair.htm 1883 History of St. Clair County]</ref> The city of St. Clair's roots go back to 1764, when a British fort was built on the south side of the Pine River near where it flows into the St. Clair River.  Pontiac's Rebellion had taken place the year before and the British wanted a military base on the St. Clair River to protect their shipping route between [[Detroit]] and [[Fort Michilimackinac]].  Col. Patrick Sinclair was given the task of building it.   He also made the new Fort Sinclair a trading post and sawmill center.  The fort and the trading post both operated for about twenty years.

In 1817, Robert Fulton platted a town on the north side of the Pine River. He lobbied for the creation of St. Clair County, and then convinced the state to make his settlement the new county seat.  St. Clair remained the county seat until 1871, when it was moved to Port Huron.

Thomas Palmer of Detroit bought Fulton's mostly undeveloped town in 1826, and for a time the village was called Palmer.  The sawmill industry began to flourish due to the area's large supply of pine and oak.  Clay from the Pine River's banks provided the material for several brickyards that operated into the Twentieth Century.  Shipbuilding began in the 1820s and continued for a hundred years.   Many of the town's men became sailors on the Great Lakes and numerous captains built homes in the city.  In 1887, the Diamond Crystal Salt Company began tapping the area's vast underground salt deposits.

In the late 1800s, St. Clair became a well-known resort with the building of the luxurious Oakland Hotel in 1881 and the Somerville Hotel in 1888.  In addition to the natural wonders of the area, both hotels offered mineral baths.  Passenger steamers stopped daily at the hotel docks.

In the 1960s, the downtown area was redeveloped with the help of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The crown jewel of the project was the expansion of Palmer Park with its boardwalk along the St. Clair River.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 1530
|1870= 1790
|1880= 1923
|1890= 2353
|1900= 2543
|1910= 2633
|1920= 3204
|1930= 3389
|1940= 3471
|1950= 4098
|1960= 4538
|1970= 4770
|1980= 4780
|1990= 5116
|2000= 5802
|2010= 5485
|2020= 5464
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-11-25}}</ref> of 2010, there were 5,485 people, 2,306 households, and 1,521 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1872.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 2,523 housing units at an average density of {{convert|861.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.9% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.2% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.6% of the population.

There were 2,306 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 42.5 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 30.9% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 5,802 people, 2,322 households, and 1,613 families residing in the city.  The population density was {{convert|2,093.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 2,432 housing units at an average density of {{convert|877.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 96.4% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.12% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.6% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.86% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.00% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.14% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.3% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 2,322 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,957, and the median income for a family was $61,743. Males had a median income of $50,509 versus $28,224 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $25,180.  About 3.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Recurring local events==
*''Blue Water Ramble'' (St. Clair, [[Michigan]]) Annual International Bicycling Event, first weekend in October.<ref>[http://www.lmb.org/crr/ Blue Water Ramble/Clinton River Riders]</ref>
*Annual St. Clair Art Fair is a two-day event in the last weekend in June.<ref>[http://www.stclairart.org/artfair.htm St. Clair Art Fair; Arts Council.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605103320/http://www.stclairart.org/artfair.htm |date=2008-06-05 }}</ref>
*St. Clair Boat Races and River Fest are held annually in downtown St. Clair on the last weekend of July.<ref>
[http://www.cityofstclair.com/ City of Saint Clair.]</ref>
*Will on the Water Shakespeare Festival, second weekend in August.<ref>[http://enterstageright.org/ Enter Stage Right.]</ref>

==Industry==
*[[Cargill]] Salt (formerly Diamond Crystal)  operates a large solution salt mine and evaporation facility in St. Clair. This is the only plant in the United States that produces [[Alberger process|Alberger]] salt, which is especially prized in the fast food industry because of its higher volume (due to its unique shape) and lower sodium content (for a given volume, not weight). This is part of [[Michigan]]'s large salt-mining industry.<ref>[http://www.diamondcrystalsalt.com/About-Us/About-Us.aspx Diamond Crystal Salt]</ref>
*The [[St. Clair Power Plant]] and [[Belle River Power Plant]] are important industries to the area, although they are not within the city limits. Both plants are located a few miles south along the St. Clair River.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Fuller |first=George Newman |title=Local history and personal sketches of St. Clair and Shiawassee counties |orig-year=1926? |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/ARH7752.0001.001 |access-date=2007-11-23 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=17–27 |chapter=Indians and Explorations |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=ARH7752.0001.001;didno=ARH7752.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000013 }}
*{{cite book |last=Jenks |first=William Lee |title=St. Clair County, Michigan, its history and its people |orig-year=1912 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/bad1042.0001.001 |access-date=2007-11-23 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=20–24 |chapter=Origin of Name |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD1042.0001.001;didno=BAD1042.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000060 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.cityofstclair.com/ City of St. Clair]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~mistclai/history/maphistory.html History of St. Clair]
* [http://www.stclairontheriver.com/ St. Clair On the River - Events]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre = St. Clair
 | North = 
 | Northeast = 
 | East =  ''[[St. Clair River]]'' / {{flagicon|CAN}}{{flagicon|Ontario}} [[St. Clair, Ontario|St. Clair]]
 | Southeast = 
 | South = [[East China Township, Michigan|East China Township]]
 | Southwest = [[China Township, Michigan|China Township]]
 | West = 
 | Northwest = [[St. Clair Township, Michigan|St. Clair Township]]
}}

{{St. Clair County, Michigan}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Clair, Michigan}}
[[Category:Cities in St. Clair County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1828]]
[[Category:1828 establishments in Michigan Territory]]
[[Category:Michigan populated places on the St. Clair River]]