The Old Mineral Spring of St. Louis, Michigan: 1895-1924

The Gratiot County town of St. Louis got its start in 1853 when Joseph Clapp built a sawmill and cabin along the Pine River.....a necessary village was platted in 1855 and named Pine River.

Four years later (1859), an adjacent village was platted and recorded: this second village was named St. Louis. In 1865 the two villages were merged into a single town and kept the name 'St. Louis'.

According to the City of St. Louis, in 1868, a couple of guys from town believed they could find a salt mine if they dug for it. Thinking this would make them rich, they drilled and dug, but found no salt. Instead, they found a mineral spring and it didn't take long for word to get out about this new spring that had miraculous healing water.

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Soon, the rich & famous from all over the country descended upon St. Louis, looking for that healing 'fountain of youth' found within that mineral spring. Thanks to the huge influx of incoming travelers, St. Louis soon had many hotels, businesses, opera houses, and more to accommodate and entertain their wealthy visitors.

Why was it named 'St. Louis' in the first place?
Gratiot County was named after General Charles Gratiot who originally hailed from St, Louis, Missouri. In honor of his home town, this Michigan village was given the same name.

It was incorporated as a city in 1891.