Mount Clemens has a very strange beginning. In 1870 Dorr Kellogg discovered the area’s concentration of rich mineral water. Word of this “therapeutic” water spread, and Mount Clemens became popular as a “bathing” town. Bathhouses and hotels sprung up across the area, and Mount Clemens became known as “Bath City “. In the 1920’s, the Great Depression brought an end to the baths, and many of the hotels and inns closed for good. Arethusa, the last bathhouse, finally closed its doors in 1974.
Today, downtown Mount Clemens has seen some recent revitalization and has become a popular area for entertainment on Detroit’s east side.