Local History

p1006Mount Clemens, Michigan has a rich and colorful history centered around the discovery of mineral water wells by Dorr Kellogg in 1870. As word of the therapeutic value of bathing in Mount Clemens’ mineral water spread, an industry grew and thrived. Turn of the century Mount Clemens was replete with bath houses and fine hotels. People came from all over the world to take the health-giving baths, and Mount Clemens became known as the “Bath City.” The bath industry flourished until the late 1920s, and the Great Depression closed most of the large hotels and baths. The last bath house in operation, the Arethusa, closed in 1974.

The library has an excellent local history collection for those engaged in Mount Clemens research, including:


No exploration of Mount Clemens history can be complete without a visit to our area historical museums, including the Macomb County Historical Society’s Crocker House Museum, the Michigan Transit Museum at the historic 1859 Mount Clemens railroad depot, and the Selfridge Military Air Museum.

Our award-winning local history video series, A Minute of Your Time, presents 48 local history topics in one-minute episodes.  To read the episode guide, click here. To view the videos, click here.

Read about Mount Clemens history in these excerpts from the library’s local history collection:

Contact Information and Links

Hours

Monday - Thursday 10:00am - 8:00pm Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm  Saturday 10:00am - 2:00pm Closed Sunday

Contact Us

150 Cass Avenue
Mount Clemens, Michigan 48043
Phone: 586-469-6200

location