St. Clair Shores is a suburban city bordering
Lake St. Clair
Lake St. Clair (french: Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day ...
in
Macomb County of the U.S. state of
Michigan. It forms a part of the
Metro Detroit area, and is located about northeast of downtown Detroit. Its population was 59,715 at the
2010 census.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are covered by water.
A notable feature of St. Clair Shores is its of canals. Most of these canals are found in the Nautical Mile, which is along Jefferson between 9 mile and 10 Mile.
Neighboring communities
History
Located along the shores of
Lake St. Clair
Lake St. Clair (french: Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day ...
and inhabited by French settlers as early as 1710, during which time the area was referred to as L'anse Creuse, the future St. Clair Shores, Michigan, community would remain largely a rural farming area populated by largely French and German immigrant families into the early 20th century. These local family surnames have survived into the 21st century and can be found both in the surnames of current day residents and among numerous residential street names.
From 1835 until 1843, the area was part of Orange Township, among the first townships platted in Michigan and part of Macomb County, Michigan. In 1843, Orange Township was renamed Erin Township, in homage to the numerous Irish immigrants who had moved into the area and had begun to exert their political influence.
From 1843 until 1911, what would be incorporated as the Village of St. Clair Shores in 1925, was a part of Erin Township, parts of which make up today's suburban municipalities of
Eastpointe,
Roseville Roseville may refer to:
Australia
*Roseville, New South Wales
Canada
* Roseville, Ontario
Malta
* RoseVille (aka Villa Roseville), a house in Attard, Malta
South Africa
*Roseville, Pretoria, a suburb
United Kingdom
*Roseville, Dudley
United S ...
, and St. Clair Shores. In 1911, the eastern portion of the township now occupied by St. Clair Shores was partitioned from Erin Township to become
Lake Township, which existed until 2009, when residents of the village of
Grosse Pointe Shores (that portion of Grosse Pointe Shores in Macomb County located within Lake Township) voted to incorporate as a city. The Village of St. Clair Shores remained a part of Lake Township until, after numerous failed attempts, its residents voted to incorporate as the City of St. Clair Shores in January 1951.
Beginning around the time of the
First World War, the lakefront community quickly became a favored playground for gamblers,
rum runners, and lakefront tourists alike, culminating during
Prohibition, but continuing through the
Second World War era. During these years, St. Clair Shores was the home to many popular
roadhouses,
blind pig
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, or a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies.
Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States d ...
s, and gambling establishments, such as the Blossom Heath Inn. St. Clair Shores' lakefront location and proximity to Canada coupled with a receptive and often participative community made it an advantageous haven for rum runners, and the area was actively involved in the rum running era of Prohibition. Local residents, politicians, and law enforcement of the era were known to sometimes conflict with both state and federal officials over their attempts to regulate these illegal, but economically vital, activities within the community.
The Eagle Pointe subdivision, one of many platted within the Village of St. Clair Shores during the early 20th century, was platted along a part of the lake shore in 1916.
During the next few decades, dozens of subdivisions were platted among the local farmland, but most were not developed in earnest until the after the Second World War, when St. Clair Shores became the fastest-growing suburb of Detroit during the 1950s.
From 1927 until 1959, the community was the location of the Jefferson Beach Amusement Park, once a major lakefront attraction for the Detroit area and beyond. Opened in 1927, it once boasted the longest roller coaster in the United States and numerous other midway attractions, a large, ornate lakefront dance pavilion, and a large, sandy beach popular with swimmers and sun bathers. In 1955, a fire destroyed some of the attractions and buildings within the once-popular park, and this, coupled with changing public tastes, accelerated its demise. While the owners of Jefferson Beach Amusement Park considered rebuilding, by this time the park was not popular with local government officials, and the city council had begun exploring forcing the closure of the facility or purchasing it for public use. Instead, the park owners, who had previously started building an onsite marina facility, began to expand that part of the facility. By 1959, the remaining park amusements and buildings were demolished to make room for the greatly enlarged Jefferson Beach Marina. All that remained of the once grand amusement park was its large, ornate lakefront dance coliseum, which for years thereafter was relegated to use as a marina storage facility and marine supply store until it, too, was destroyed by fire.
Attractions
The Nautical Mile, a mile-long, lakefront strip of Jefferson Avenue between Nine Mile and 10 Mile roads, features a nautical-themed streetscape, retail establishments, restaurants, boat dealers, and both private and civic marinas. This business district is dominated by the tallest structure in St. Clair Shores; the 28-story Shore Club Sky Tower, colloquially known as "9 Mile Tower", and located at the foot of Nine Mile Road and Jefferson Avenue on Lake Saint Clair. The residential tower has become a prominent nautical landmark and its rooftop beacon can be seen for many miles.
St. Clair Shores is home to the longest-consecutively running preliminary program pageant of the
Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
Organization in Michigan and among the longest-running in the United States. Since 1953, the Miss St. Clair Shores Scholarship Program
has offered scholarships to young women in the community ages 17–24. The pageant is held each July at the local
South Lake High School Auditorium. Miss St. Clair Shores volunteers and serves her city during her preparation to compete at the Miss Michigan Pageant.
Dating back to its years as a popular lakefront entertainment destination, St. Clair Shores has a long connection to Detroit's musical history. In addition to the many past roadhouses that featured numerous national performing artists of the era, other notable music-related locations include the former Car City Records store, whose employees have included many from the Detroit music scene; the former Crows Nest East,
a short-lived, but popular music venue of the late 1960s; and the former Shirley's Swinger Lounge. Individuals and groups who played at or frequented these venues went on to regional and national success, including
Bob Seger
Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...
, the
MC5
MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...
,
Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
, and
The Frost
The Frost was an American psychedelic rock band from Alpena, Michigan in the late 1960s, led by singer-guitarist Dick Wagner, who went on to play with Ursa Major, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel in the 1970s. The rest of the band consisted ...
.
St. Clair Shores, one of a few communities to lay claim to the "
Hockeytown USA" moniker before the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
and the city of Detroit, is renowned throughout both the US and Canada as a long-time youth hockey hotbed, largely related to its long-successful St. Clair Shores Hockey Association. Once the home to the United States' first privately owned indoor ice hockey arena, Gordie Howe Hockeyland, St. Clair Shores also boasts two municipal indoor ice arenas at its civic recreation center. Owing to its tremendously popular aforementioned youth hockey association, local high school hockey often dominated the local competition of the 1970s, with all three local high schools participating. St. Clair Shores Lakeview High School went undefeated during its famed 1973 state high-school championship season. Although the once beloved Gordie Howe Hockeyland has since closed, youth hockey is still very popular in St. Clair Shores and vintage references to "Hockeytown USA" can still be found inside the St. Clair Shores Civic Arena.
Although its population has dropped from its peak in the early 1970s due to end of the
baby boomer era and continued
urban sprawl, St. Clair Shores continues to be a popular suburb of Detroit, owing largely to its advantageous lakefront location, its municipal park system, its fine recreational sports programs and facilities, and its three public school districts.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 59,715 people, 26,585 households, and 15,932 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 28,467 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the city was 92.7% White, 3.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.7% of the population.
Of the 26,585 households, 24.6% had children under 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.1% were not families. About 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.24, and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 44.2 years; 19% of residents were under 18; 7% were between18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 29.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, 63,096 people, 27,434 households, and 17,283 families were living in the city. The population density was . The 28,208 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.89% White, 0.69% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.84% Asian], 0.20% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.18% of the population.
Of the 27,434 households, 24.1% had children under 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were not families. About 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the age distribution was 20.2% under 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $49,047, and for a family was $59,245. Males had a median income of $46,614 versus $31,192 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,009. About 2.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under 18 and 4.9% of those 65 or over.
Education
St. Clair Shores has three school districts:
South Lake Schools
South Lake School District is a school district headquartered in St. Clair Shores, Michigan
St. Clair Shores is a suburban city bordering Lake Saint Clair (North America), Lake St. Clair in Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County of the U.S. state ...
, which serves the southern portion of the city,
Lakeview Public Schools, which serves the central portion of the city, and
Lake Shore Public Schools, which serves the northern portion of the city. Each district operates one high school within the city.
Private,
parochial schools include St. Germaine, St. Isaac Jogues, and St. Joan of Arc.
Notable people
*
George Allen –
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
coach in the
National Football League and
United States Football League; member of the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
*
Dave Coulier
David Alan Coulier ( ; born September 21, 1959) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, and television host. He played Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'', voiced Peter Venkman on ''The Real Ghostbusters'', and voiced ...
– actor and comedian
*
David Coulter – politician; Oakland County executive
*
David Debol
David C. Debol (born 27 March 1956) is an American former professional ice hockey player.
Debol played 92 games for the NHL Hartford Whalers and 68 games for the WHA Cincinnati Stingers between 1978 and 1981. He was also a member of the Univ ...
– member of the
National Hockey League (NHL)
Hartford Whalers, (1979–81)
*
Anne Fletcher – dancer, choreographer, and film director
*
Faye Grant – actress
*
Donald Patrick Harvey
Donald Patrick Harvey II (born May 31, 1960) is an American actor.
Early life
Harvey was born and raised in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, the sixth of eight children. He started acting while attending Lake Shore High School, having performed in sev ...
– actor (''
Die Hard 2'', ''
Walker, Texas Ranger'')
*
Alto Reed – musician, saxophonist, and backing vocalist most notably as a member of
The Silver Bullet Band
Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...
*
Bob Samaras
Bob Samaras (August 16, 1927 - February 21, 2018) was a basketball coach at Eastern High School in Detroit and later at the University of Windsor. He was also the author of the book ''Blitz Basketball'' in which he laid out the plan for playing bas ...
– basketball coach and author
*
Fred "Sonic" Smith – guitarist, member of the bands
MC5
MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...
and
Sonic's Rendezvous Band
*
Werner Spitz
Werner Uri Spitz (born August 22, 1926) is a German-American forensic pathologist who has worked on a number of high-profile cases, including the investigations of the assassinations of president John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. He als ...
– forensic pathologist
*
Mark Wells
Mark Ronald Wells (born September 18, 1957) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who is best known for being a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.
Amateur career
Mark Wells graduated from Lake Shore High School in St. ...
– member of the 1980 United States Olympic
ice hockey team (
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. It was played between the hosting United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, during the medal round of the men's hockey tourna ...
)
*
Rachelle Consiglio-Wilkos – television producer and wife of television personality
Steve Wilkos
*
Thomas J. Wilson
Thomas J. Wilson (born 1958) is chairman, chief executive officer, and president of The Allstate Corporation. Wilson is also a member of the corporation's board of directors.
Early life
Wilson was born in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He graduated ...
– chairman and CEO of
Allstate
The Allstate Corporation is an American insurance company, headquartered in Northfield Township, Illinois, near Northbrook since 1967. Founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., it was spun off in 1993 but still partially owned by S ...
*
John Ziegler Jr.
John Augustus Ziegler Jr. (February 9, 1934 – October 25, 2018) was an American lawyer and ice hockey executive. Upon succeeding Clarence Campbell in 1977, he became the fourth president of the National Hockey League. Ziegler served as league ...
(1952) – president of the NHL (1977–1992) and member of the
Hockey Hall of Fame
, logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg
, logo_upright = 0.5
, image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg
, caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
, map_type =
, former_name =
, established = 1943
, location = 30 Y ...
(1987)
title=The Business of Playing Hockey
/ref>
See also
* Grosse Pointe
*Lake Saint Clair (North America)
Lake St. Clair (french: Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day ...
*Mount Clemens
Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,314 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of government of Macomb County.
History
Mount Clemens was first surveyed in 1795 after the American Revolutionary War by Christia ...
References
External links
Official Website of the City of St. Clair Shores
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Clair Shores, Michigan
Cities in Macomb County, Michigan
Lake St. Clair
Metro Detroit
Coastal resorts in Michigan
Michigan populated places on Lake St. Clair
Populated places established in 1710
1951 establishments in Michigan