Town name: Clare
Year founded: 1870
2020 population: 3254
City, village or unincorporated? City
Major industries: Manufacturing, tourism and agriculture
Town history:
Founded in 1870, Clare, Michigan, began as a rough-and-tumble lumber town fueled by the arrival of the Pere Marquette Railroad. Named after County Clare in Ireland, the city quickly transitioned from a timber boomtown into a vibrant, diverse community that remains a central hub in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Early Origins & Lumber Era
- The Lumber Camp: In 1864, Bay City lumberman William McEwan purchased acreage in the area. By 1868, he had established a logging camp just south of the present-day downtown. [1]
- Railroad Arrival: The settlement boomed when the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad pushed its tracks through the area in 1870, crossing the Isabella-Tobacco River State Road near McEwan's camp. [1, 2]
- Incorporation: Clare was formally platted in 1870, incorporated as a village in 1879, and officially became a city in 1891. [1, 2]
Downtown Fires & Rebuilding
- Destructive Blazes: Like many early Michigan frontier towns, Clare was heavily constructed of wood. Devastating fires in 1904 and 1907 destroyed much of the original downtown. [1]
- Brick & Stone Rebirth: The community rebuilt the commercial district using brick and stone. Today, downtown McEwan Street retains its historic, late-1800s and early-1900s brick architecture. [1, 2]
Notoriety & Colorful Figures
- Mob Ties: In 1938, Clare gained statewide notoriety when a Detroit attorney with deep Purple Gang connections was murdered at the Doherty Hotel. [1]
- The "Spikehorn" Legend: The area was also home to local folk legend "Spikehorn" Meyers, a colorful wilderness showman and bear wrestler who ran a popular roadside zoo just outside the city. [1]
- Henry Ford’s Enforcer: Not far away, Ford Motor Company's notorious security chief, Harry Bennett, built a heavily fortified concrete retreat in the 1930s, complete with hidden machine-gun nests and a bunker. [1]
Clare Today
Clare successfully diversified from timber into agriculture, commerce, and tourism. It is widely celebrated across the state today as both the "Gateway to the North" and a culinary destination, heavily driven by the famous Cops & Doughnuts bakery, which operates out of a historic 1896 building.
Cache description: Container is a pill bottle that is hidden in a parking lot. Stealth needs to be used.
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