MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich., city, county seat of Macomb County, on the Clinton River, and on the Grand Trunk Railroad, about 22 miles northeast of Detroit. Electric railroad lines connect the city with Detroit and the towns along the coast. The first settlement was made in 1802; and the original plan of the vil lage was made in 1818 by Christian Clemens. This first plat consisted of 60 lots now in the business centre of the city. The cooperage business was most important in the early days; the staves and heads for oil casks and barrels being made in Mount Clemens and shipped to large oil firms in New Bedford, Mass. Then Mount Clemens was considered the most im portant place in Michigan; but with the decay of whaling and whale-oil industries, the cooper age business declined and the town was at a standstill for several years. In 1865 a company prospecting for oil sank a well at Mount Clemens. After going to a depth of about 1,300 feet they abandoned all hope of oil, but found salt instead. Soon a new company was formed for the purpose of manufacturing salt, but the enterprise did not prove a success be cause of the quality of the salt. In 1868, ap parently by accident, the discovery was made that the water from the salt wells possessed remarkable medicinal properties and since then the place has had a steady growth which is increasing each year. Large sanatoriums, hotels and bathing places have been built to accom modate the thousands of people who annually visit the place seeking health. The mineral
waters, classed as sulpho-iodo-chromo-salines, as they come from the wells are about 50° F., and very rich in mineral salts, chiefly chloride of sodium and chloride of magnesium. About 30 different chemical ingredients constitute their make up. The beautiful residences, broad, well-kept streets and grounds, the long lines of shade trees, the parks, the drives, all make the place most attractive. Gratiot avenue is virtu ally a continuation of the, avenue of the same name in Detroit. Both avenues are parts of what was once the government road made in 1840 and extending from the fort in Detroit to the fort at Port Huron. The churches and schools compare favorably with others in the State. Mount Clemens has considerable manu facturing and commercial interests. Some of the manufacturing establishments of the city are a carriage and wagon factory, agricultural implement works, beet-sugar factory, machine shops, a large pottery, an automobile spring factory, a bath tub factory and a cooperage works. The government of the city is admin istered under the law of the State for the cities of the fourth class. The water-supply system is the property of, and is operated by the municipality. Pop. 7,707.