St. Clair Township dates to 1828, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 62% of U.S. towns · #258 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Most of St. Clair Township was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Its Register listing is the Wadhams Road-Pine River Bridge. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1928 on, and the census since 1860.
From St. Clair Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How St. Clair Township began, and where its name came from
When was St. Clair Township founded?
1828
St. Clair Township dates its founding to 1828 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1860.
First census: 1,530 in 18602020 census: 7,085198 years
How did St. Clair Township get its name?
St. Clair Township was named for Lake Saint Clair, named by French explorers in the 17th century.
More on the name
The expedition of French explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle entered the lake on August 12, 1679, the feast day of Saint Clare of Assisi, and named it Lac Sainte-Claire in her honor.
How historic is St. Clair Township?
B
More historic than 62% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1876. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives St. Clair Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, St. Clair Township is more historic than 62% of U.S. towns, #258 of 701 in Michigan. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of St. Clair Township’s overall grade.
Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so St. Clair Township’s 1.4 sits above most of its state (67% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. The pre-1940 share (±2.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1828.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about St. Clair Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fort, called Fort Sinclair, and was an Indigenous trading post. The oldest standing house is actually part of the fort, but is owned by Johnson Hydraulics. The fort existed in the mid 18th century, when the St, Clair River was used for traveling by explorers, traders, and early settlers. St. Clair was first platted under the name of Palmer by Thomas Palmer in 1828. The city of St. Clair's roots go back to 1764, when a British fort was built on the south side of the Pine River near where it flows into the St. Clair River. Pontiac's Rebellion had taken place the year before and the British wanted a military base on the St. Clair River to protect their shipping route between Detroit and Fort Michilimackinac. Col. Patrick Sinclair was given the task of building it. He also made the new Fort Sinclair a trading post and sawmill center. The fort and the trading post both operated for abou…
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of St. Clair Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1928Hicky sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of St. Clair Township.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewCottages at Ste. Claire Flats (NBY 3141)
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on St. Clair Township’s page.
In 1828, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. St. Clair Township’s post office opened in 1876, and the census of 1860 counted 1,530 people here.
How does St. Clair Township rank for history?
St. Clair Township is more historic than 62% of U.S. towns, #258 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in St. Clair Township?
One place: the Wadhams Road-Pine River Bridge (listed 2000).
How old are the homes in St. Clair Township?
7% of St. Clair Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.3 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1989.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
Date?
Date?
2005
