Clarkston, Michigan

Clarkston, Michigan
City
City of the Village of Clarkston
Location of Clarkston, Michigan
Coordinates: 42°44′01″N 83°25′08″W / 42.73361°N 83.41889°W / 42.73361; -83.41889Coordinates: 42°44′01″N 83°25′08″W / 42.73361°N 83.41889°W / 42.73361; -83.41889
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Oakland
Settled	1830
Incorporated	1884[1] (village)
Area[2]
• Total	0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)
• Land	0.44 sq mi (1.14 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)  9.80%
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	882
• Estimate (2012[4])	893
• Density	2,004.5/sq mi (773.9/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	48346
Area code(s)	248
FIPS code	26-82450[5]
GNIS feature ID	623384[6]

City of the Village of Clarkston, or Clarkston is a small city located within Independence Charter Township in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 882 at the 2010 census.^[7]

Overview

Entryway signage for Pine Knob Ski Resort and the DTE Energy Music Theatre

Clarkston is a small community in the northern outskirts of the Detroit suburbs. Located with easy access to I-75, Clarkston offers a direct route to downtown Detroit and Flint. US 24 also begins in Clarkston as a north-south highway.

The jurisdiction of the city government is limited to a relatively small downtown area commonly referred to as "the village." Those living in the much larger surrounding area of Independence Township refer to themselves as living in Clarkston. Most addresses within the township would use "Clarkston" as the USPS preferred city name. Very few residents describe themselves as living in Independence Township. The township and city both use "Clarkston" as a mailing address, and are served by Clarkston Community Schools.

The township is home to DTE Energy Music Theatre, Pine Knob Ski Resort, Clarkston High School and Everest Academy and High School.

In September 2008, the pilot episode for the new HBO show Hung was shot at Clarkston Junior High School in downtown Clarkston. The show revolves around a baseball coach. HBO paid students of the high school to be extras in scenes where they were fans in the crowd of a basketball game.

History

Linux Jacox from New York built the first house in Clarkston in 1830. He sold his claim to Butler Holcomb in 1831. In 1832, Holcomb built the second house and a sawmill on sections 20 and 21. The town was named for the Clark brothers, from New York. Jeremiah Clark, from Onondaga County, New York, came to Detroit in 1831, and in the autumn of 1832 located on section 7 in Independence Township where he built a log cabin. Among his three children were three boys, Edwin, Milton and Newton. Nelson W. Clark arrived in 1836 and became a prominent citizen in the township. In 1838, Holcomb sold his interests to the Clark brothers, who then built a grist mill. In 1842, the Clark brothers platted a tract of land on section 20 for a village and gave it the name Clarkston.^[8] The first church to be erected in Clarkston was the Methodist Church on Buffalo Street, in 1841.^[9]

In 1980, Clarkston was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District on the merit of its architectural and historical significance. Clarkston has many important examples of Queen Anne style homes. Residents in 1980 came together and submitted the appropriate paperwork to the National Park Service to list Clarkston as a historic district primarily to prevent Main Street from widening and wiping out character-defining buildings as well as Clarkston's history.^[10]

Public schools

The schools in the Clarkston Community School District are:

• Clarkston High School
• CSMTech Academy
• Oakland Technical Center (OSTC) – Northwest Campus
• Clarkston Junior High School(CJHS)
• Sashabaw Middle School (SMS)
• Andersonville Elementary School
• Bailey Lake Elementary School
• Clarkston Elementary School
• Independence Elementary School
• North Sashabaw Elementary School(NSE)
• Pine Knob Elementary School
• Springfield Plains Elementary School
• Clarkston Early Childhood Center

Private schools

The private schools in Clarkston are:

• Cedar Crest Academy (K-8) – 8970 Dixie Highway
• Everest Academy and High School
• Oakland Christian School – 6300 Clarkston Road

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[3] of 2010, there were 882 people, 402 households, and 248 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,004.5 inhabitants per square mile (773.9 /km²). There were 440 housing units at an average density of 1,000.0 per square mile (386.1 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.7% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 402 households of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.3% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 45.4 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 31.4% were from 45 to 64; and 19.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 962 people, 406 households, and 265 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,106.0 per square mile (807.5/km²). There were 424 housing units at an average density of 928.2 per square mile (355.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.78% White, 0.31% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.04% of the population.

There were 406 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $62,667, and the median income for a family was $90,189. Males had a median income of $66,250 versus $37,604 for females. The per capita income for the city was $36,838. About 2.2% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Valerie Bertinelli, actress^[11]
• Tim Birtsas, real estate developer, former professional baseball player^[12]
• Dan Dickerson, radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers^[13][14]
• Dane Fife, former basketball player and current assistant coach at Michigan State University^[15]
• Henry Ford, industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company. Maintained a summer home and weekend cottage on Main Street.^{[citation needed]} Ford also owned a mill which operated on the water from what is now called "Mill Pond" in Clarkston. This building still exists in part but has been modernized into a small mall which includes art galleries and office space. He also purchased the old school building on N Main St to serve as an apprentice school.^[16]
• Brandon Gentile, professional hockey player
• John Hardon, Jesuit priest, theologian
• Steve Howe, deceased Major League Baseball pitcher
• Geoff Johns, comic book writer
• Scott Kamieniecki, former professional baseball player ^[17]
• Tim McCormick, former professional basketball player and current sports broadcaster
• Bob Miller, former professional football player, business owner
• Marisha Pessl, author
• Ryan Riess, professional poker player, 2013 World Series of Poker champion
• Tim Robinson, comedian, current cast member on Saturday Night Live
• Kid Rock, musician^[18]
• Ron Serafini, realtor, former professional hockey player
• David Simko, former NASCAR Cup Series driver ^[19]
• Samuel William Smith, former politician
• Daniel Travis, actor^[20]

Places of Interest

Notable places of interest in Clarkston include The Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen and The Union Woodshop, both of which have been featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, where both restaurants were part of Kid Rock's Detroit Tour with show host Guy Fieri.^[21][22]

Other notable locations include Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard Resort as well as the DTE Energy Music Theatre, which has been home to famous musical tours, such as the Rockstar Mayhem Festival,^[23] as well as graduation for local Clarkston High School. Within driving distance is also Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, the The Palace of Auburn Hills, and The Henry Ford Museum.

References

External links

• Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce
• Clarkston Community Schools
• Clarkston Community Historical Society

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