Macomb County history

In 1840 came the historic debate in the Legislature concerning the rivalry of the town of Romeo for Mount Clemens' county seat.

Mount Clemens opened its first bath house in 1873, and quickly grew to offer 11 bath houses and dozens of hotels.

In 1909 Mount Clemens opened Leap The Dips, a 3,200-foot wooden roller coaster, which was intended to entertain the many folks who came for the bath minerals.

Built in 1927 on Jefferson just north of Nine Mile, the Jefferson Beach Amusement Park boasted the world’s longest roller coaster, a ferris wheel, carousel, arcade and dance pavilion.

In 1951, new owners Clayton and Ruth Stubbs improved the old track, built a grandstand and opened the Mount Clemens Race Track on the site.

Macomb has a Statue of President John F. Kennedy In 1960, then United States Senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy campaigned for President and delivered an important speech in downtown Mount Clemens.

Located in the southeast corner of the county, Orange Township eventually became Erin Township which later evolved into the cities of East Detroit, Roseville and St Clair Shores, in 1992, East Detroit changed its name to Eastpointe.

By the time they closed in 1999, they had produced well over 300 million roses.

Today, Macomb County encompasses 482 square miles, and ranks third in population in the state, with a 2000 census total of 788,149 persons.

The economic activity generated by the St Clair system fishery in 2004 accounted for $36 million in the Michigan waters only.

Alcohol Funneling During Prohibition Era Happened on the Shores of Lake St Clair As Denis LeDuc started to show us in his Macomb Then column in the 2014 Winter Edition of Macomb Now Magazine, Mount Clemens was just one place that contributed to the illegal alcohol consumption during the prohibition.