St. Clair Shores celebrates diamond anniversary

ST. CLAIR SHORES — On Jan. 17, the city of St. Clair Shores hosted its Diamond Jubilee Gala, celebrating the 75 years of its existence.

The city was officially instated in 1951, but long before that people were drawn to the area for the lake views and its resort feel. 

Jerry Sielagoski, the chair of the St. Clair Shores Historical Commission, said he believes the city can trace its roots back to the 1920s. He said, at the time, many subdivisions were platted, and a lot of the summer cottages were replaced by permanent homes. 

“Then St. Clair Shores became a village in 1925 and from that time on I think things really began to happen,” Sielagoski said. 

A municipal government was established and they created ordinances, a charter commission and more government buildings. 

The St. Clair Shores Police Department is also celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and Sielagoski said prior to May 1927, fire services didn’t exist. After that date, the then Village Commission purchased two pumping engines, and two volunteer fire departments were organized at each end of the village. In 1928, the commission appointed a fire chief. 

“There were about 20 volunteers in each company,” Sielagoski said. 

By the end of 1927, the city laid over 60 miles of water mains after they passed a bond the same year enabling them to receive Detroit water. Over the course of the 1920s, over 30 miles of sidewalks were built. 

Sielagoski said the Great Depression starting at the beginning of the 1930s, hit St. Clair Shores just as hard as the rest of the nation. 

“Many people lost jobs, stood in breadlines, but there was a lot of help, and I don’t know how many people know this, but there was a lot of help extended by Henry and Edsel Ford,” Sielagoski said. 

Henry Ford is the founder of the Ford Motor Co. and created the Model T and many other vehicles. Edsel was his son and only child. 

“They were very benevolent in helping out the residents in St. Clair Shores,” Sielagoski said. 

Many people turned to different streams of income after losing their jobs. Sielagoski said bootlegging was one of these incomes.

“Many of the residents that had lost their conventional jobs, I mean, we’re here right on the lake and there was a lot of people that were involved, let’s say, in that industry,” Sielagoski said. 

During that time, a movement was formed and called to dissolve the village. 

“But fortunately, there were a few staunch-hearted individuals (that) wouldn’t let it happen,” Sielagoski said. 

In the 1940s, Sielagoski said, St. Clair Shores hit a huge real estate boom, and newspaper advertisements described the city as the place to live. That led to a population boom in the city. 

“As time went on, St. Clair Shores was labeled the largest village in the world and so the issue of incorporation to become a city came up,” Sielagoski said. 

The people and the government of the village tried numerous times to become a city. Sielagoski said the first time it came up was in 1941 and numerous other attempts were shot down by the majority voting against incorporation. 

In the fall of 1950, the vote finally passed. 

“St. Clair Shores officially became a city in January of 1951,” Sielagoski said. 

The official 75th anniversary of the city was on Jan. 15. 

The first mayor was Tom Welsh and Sielagoski said he had a lot of plans for the development of the city including building paved roads and much more. Industries and businesses moved into the city, eventually earning the city a stretch of road called “Industry Row.” 

Flooding also caused great issues to the community in the early 1950s. Sielagoski said that could have been due to the overwhelming population boom in a once-rural community, where agricultural drains couldn’t handle the influx of water usage. 

“The village came up with a master plan for sewers that was endorsed in 1947 and then they extended strong sewers to the northern limits of the village, and they connected them all into the Jefferson Interceptor that was completed in 1954,” Sielagoski said. 

The 1960s saw the Industrial Park developed under an urban renewal program. 

“Houses were bought by the city, the land was cleared and slowly but surely the cottage-type summer houses were disappearing,” Sielagoski said. 

The 2026 Diamond Jubilee Gala brought people from all over the city and different parts of the state together to celebrate the long and storied history of St. Clair Shores. Red Wings Broadcaster Ken Kal acted as the emcee for the evening. Macomb County and state elected officials attended to show their support for the city. 

Macomb County officials included County Executive Mark Hackel, Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller, Macomb County Commissioner Barbara Zinner and others. State officials included state Sen. Kevin Hertel, state Rep. Mai Xiong, state Rep. Kimberly Edwards and state Rep. Alicia St. Germaine, all of whom have St. Clair Shores as part of their constituency. 

Mayor Kip Walby gave a speech thanking the guests and the government officials in attendance. He reflected on the city he called home starting when he was a little boy attending council meetings. Hertel and Hackel also said a few words. 

Hertel said he has lived in St. Clair Shores for almost 20 years and has represented the city for almost a decade. 

“We’ve always been able to put politics aside and find ways to get things done and so working with the mayor and the council here in St. Clair Shores has always been an incredible experience,” Hertel said. “And I want to thank all of you for all the work you do for making this city a great place to live and raise a family.” 

Hackel said Macomb County is fortunate for all the municipalities that make Macomb County the place to live. 

“St. Clair Shores, I have come to realize over the years, has an incredible connection to pretty much everybody I come across,” Hackel said.