Europe is known for its famous baths, many of which were constructed during the days of the Roman Empire. There is even a city in England called Bath. People flocked to Bath to take advantage of its natural hot springs both for enjoyment and for health. It was thought that the waters from the natural hot springs had healing properties.

Well, we have our area that was known for its baths right in Michigan. At one time Mount Clemens drew visitors from all over the world. People near and far came to relax and recooperate in the mineral baths. Mount Clemens' debut as a resort town happened by accident. The original commerce plan was to make Mount Clemens a salt-producing city. Things didn't go as planned because the costs to separate the salt proved to be too high.

One innovative mill operator took a dip in the water. The water was warm and bathing in the mineral-rich water proved to be much more enjoyable than attempting to extract its salt. Entrepreurial-minded citizens pulled together to open the Original Bath House. They saw their plans come to fruition in 1873 and 30 years later there were nine bathhouses and more than 30 hotels in Mount Clemens.

To learn more about Mount Clemens' past and Macomb County history visit the Macomb County government website.