Chronological history of developments in Clare County
Source Abbreviations
Clare County Cleaver = CCC
Clare County Press = CCP
Clare Courier = CC
Clare Democrat = CD
Clare Democrat and Press = CDP
Clare Press = CP
Clare Sentinel = CS
Clare Sentinel (1892) = CS1892
Clare Sentinel and the Democrat-Press = CSDP
Farwell News = FN
Gladwin County Record = GCR
Isabella County Enterprise = ICE
Rotary Chronicle = RC
| 2024 | Doherty Hotel celebrated 100th anniversary Bell-Knapp Cabin added to Clare County History Park Jay’s & Webber Wildlife & Education Center opened |
| 2023 | Gateway Lanes burned down Ideal Theatre reopened after renovation |
| 2021 | Clare County sesquicentennial (from being fully organized) |
| 2020 | COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2018 | Clare Union Railroad Depot opened as museum, gift shop, & meeting space after relocation & restoration |
| 2014 | Blacksmith shop added to Clare County History Park (CCC 11 September 2014, CCC 25 September 2014) |
| 2012 | Doherty Hotel renovation and addition |
| 2000 | Ott Cabin added to Clare County History Park (CCC 15 June 2000) |
| 1999 | Clare County History Museum opened (CCC 21 March 1996, CCC 19 September 1996, CCC 12 August 1999) |
| 1994 | Election results delayed by computer crash (CS 08 November 1994) Ashcraft’s Markets store opened in Clare (CS 01 November 1994, CS 08 November 1994) |
| 1993 | Witbeck’s store opened in building previously Giant Supermarket (CS 16 November 1993) |
| 1991 | Harrison’s centennial (CCC 27 June 1991) |
| 1990 | Doherty Hotel renovation and addition |
| 1985 | First Michigan Great Lakes Wildlife Festival (CS 30 January 1985, CS 22 May 1985, CS 29 May 1985) Clare High School recognized as exemplary secondary school (CS 20 March 1985) Miller v. Farwell lawsuit settled out of court (CS 06 February 1985, CS 13 February 1985) Cold winter weather (12-inch snow storm, -15°F in January, storm in March) (CS 06 February 1985, CS 06 March 1985) |
| 1984 | Crime wave of burglaries in downtown Clare during holiday season (CS 02 January 1985, CS 09 January 1985) Lawsuit between Farwell and former police chief Miller (CS 05 September 1984, CS 10 October 1984) |
| 1979 | Clare’s centennial (from incorporating as village) (CS 24 January 1979, CS 11 April 1979, CS 18 July 1979) |
| 1978 | Blizzard of ’78 (CS 01 February 1978, CCC 02 February 1978, CS 08 February 1978, CCC 09 February 1978, CS 15 February 1978) |
| 1977 | Clare’s Irish week, St. Patrick’s Day parade (CS 16 March 1977, CS 23 March 1977) |
| 1976 | Clare’s first “A Wee Bit of Ireland” celebration, St. Patrick’s Day dance at Doherty Hotel (CS 17 March 1976) |
| 1975 | Clare Chamber of Commerce adopted Irish theme for city (CS 12 March 1975) |
| 1972 | Witbeck’s new store opened (CS 19 April 1972) |
| 1970 | Farwell’s centennial (CS 12 August 1970, CS 09 September 1970, Farwell Area Centennial) Dover School opened as part of Clare County History Park (CS 17 December 1969, CS 10 June 1970, CS 22 July 1970, CS 29 July 1970) Clare County Historical Society founded (CS 10 December 1969, CS 28 January 1970, CS 25 February 1970) |
| 1966 | Dover School’s last year of operation (CS 26 May 1966) |
| 1962 | Lake Shamrock dam completed, then burst (CS 10 May 1962) |
| 1961 | US-27 Freeway bypass built around Clare (CS 07 September 1961) |
| 1960 | Direct dialing phone service brought to Clare (CS 13 October 1960) Doherty Hotel renovation and addition (motel, outdoor pool) Picture History of Clare (1870-1958) compiled and presented (CS 19 May 1960, CS 04 August 1960) |
| 1957 | Lake Project began for redevelopment of Clare millpond dam (CS 01 August 1957, CS 23 May 1957, CS 21 February 1957) “Fire Disaster” in Clare (CS 24 January 1957) |
| 1956 | Wind storm damage (FN 05 July 1956, CS 12 July 1956) |
| 1955 | First Hunter’s Festival in Clare (CS 10 November 1955, CS 17 November 1955) |
| 1950 | Badge and record book of HMS Clare presented to City of Clare by British Government (CS 01 September 1950, CS 08 March 1994) Clare Library moved from Doherty Hotel to basement of Maxwell’s Gift Shop (CS 1950-08-25, CS 1950-12-22, CS 1955-06-23) “Modern” traffic signals installed in Clare by Michigan State Highway Department (CS 01 September 1950) Passenger train service ended (CS 21 July 1950, 25 August 1950) St. Cecilia’s School built (CS 19 May 1950) |
| 1948 | Witbeck’s first store opened in building previously Kroger (CS 30 January 1948, CS 28 August 1990) Gateway Lanes opened in Clare (CS 29 October 1948) |
| 1945 | Wood’s Household opened in Clare (CS 24 July 1990) |
| 1944 | Forest fire (CS 18 August 1944) |
| 1942 | Dr. A. K. Fisher visited Richard Follett in Clare (CS 14 August 1942) |
| 1941 | First Clare County serviceman killed in World War II was Robert Pettit (CS 06 March 1942, CS 27 July 1983) |
| 1940 | Tornado hit downtown Clare (CS 26 July 1940, CS 02 August 1940) HMS Clare began service in First Town Flotilla of the Royal Navy |
| 1939 | Wind storm hit downtown Clare (CS 03 February 1939) |
| 1938 | WPA murals by Gerald Mast and statue by Samuel Cashwan added to Clare school (CS 04 November 1938, CS 11 November 1938) Spikehorn Meyer received “Prevaricators License” (CCC 21 July 1938) Isaiah Leebove murdered by Carl “Jack” Livingston at Doherty Hotel (CS 20 May 1938) First rural schools Music Festival (39 schools, over 200 participants, almost 1,000 attendees) (CCC 05 May 1938, CCC 12 May 1938) |
| 1937 | Wildlife Sanctuary established in Clare by Isaiah Leebove (CS 30 July 1937, CS 17 September 1937, CS 22 October 1937) |
| 1936 | First Hunter’s Ball in Harrison (CS 06 November 1936, CCC 20 November 1936, CCC 27 November 1936) |
| 1935 | Clare Hardware opened (CS 03 July 1990) |
| 1933 | Taft Memorial Highway designation (CS 25 August 1933) Highway pavement celebration (CS 28 July 1933) |
| 1930 | Ideal Theatre built (CS 17 July 1990) Doherty Hotel cottages built (CS 18 April 1930, CS 13 June 1930) |
| 1929 | Beginning of oil well development (CS 10 May 1929) |
| 1927 | Farwell School Forest started by Josiah Littlefield (CS 12 September 1941) Windstorm damaged Clare’s business district (CS 15 July 1927) |
| 1926 | “Better Homes” Show held by Clare Study Club (attendance over 900) (CS 30 April 1926, CS 14 May 1926, CS 28 May 1926, CS 11 June 1926) Ed Johnston purchased Clare grain elevator from Chatterton & Son (now Johnston Elevator) (CS 07 May 1926, CS 09 July 1996) |
| 1925 | First Clare County picnic (Wilson State Park, Harrison) (CS 07 August 1925) Clare city water crisis (CS 05 June 1925) Doherty Hotel opened soda room & sandwich shop (CS 29 May 1925) Henry Ford & Jep Bisbee visited Clare, gave concert at Doherty Hotel (CS 08 May 1925) Earthquake (CS 06 March 1925) First “test well” drilled (CS 30 January 1925) |
| 1924 | Pavement celebration (CS 05 September 1924) Clare Library opened in Doherty Hotel (CS 22 August 1924, CS 23 April 1926, CS 09 September 1938) Clare’s main street paved with concrete (CS 08 August 1924) Doherty Hotel opened (CS 11 April 1924) Bob’s Garage opened (CS 08 May 1974) |
| 1922 | Clare school’s new building opened (now Clare Middle School) (CS 25 August 1922) |
| 1921 | Clare school burned down (second time), destroying records and books (CS 17 March 1921) Clare Chamber of Commerce gave former Calkins House site to A.J. Doherty for development (CC 06 June 1921) |
| 1920 | Calkins House burned down (CS 22 January 1920) |
| 1919 | Henry Ford visited Temple (CS 31 July 1919) 2 tractors and a grain separator arrived at Ford Farm in Greenwood Township (CS 24 July 1919) |
| 1918 | Influenza pandemic (CS 05 December 1918, CS 12 December 1918) Michigan adopted woman suffrage (CS 14 November 1918, CS 21 November 1918) Outbreak of hemorrhagic septicemia killed cattle (CS 03 October 1918) |
| 1917 | Military service draft began for World War I (CS 19 July 1917, CS 09 August 1917) |
| 1915 | Kaykakee Club reorganized as Clare Study Club (CS 12 November 1915, CS 28 January 1938) First automobile fatality (CS 10 September 1915) |
| 1911 | Henry Ford purchased land in Greenwood Township, later used for testing prototype tractors and growing crops Doherty block built between Tatman and McKinnon blocks (CS 30 September 1910, CS 12 May 1911, CS 07 July 1911) Severe storm hit Central Michigan (CS 09 June 1911) |
| 1909 | Clare had 8 automobiles (CS 27 August 1909) |
| 1908 | First Farwell Labor Day celebration |
| 1905 | J. L. Littlefield opened a sawmill, sold Hotel Ella, and sold 3,000 pounds of wool (CS 05 May 1905) Dover post office discontinued (CS 03 March 1905) |
| 1902 | Dover Band organized (RC 11 November 1955) |
| 1901 | Clare Creamery purchased from John Hess by E. Switzer (CS 19 December 1901) Rust House reopened as Hotel Ella (CS 25 July 1901, CCP 14 June 1878, CCC 04 August 2011) Clare school rebuilt (CS 09 May 1901) |
| 1900 | Clare school burned down (first time) (CS 28 September 1900) |
| 1898 | First creamery owned by John Hess (CS 29 April 1898, CS 21 July 1911) |
| 1895 | Clare Union Depot train station rebuilt (CSDP 16 August 1895, CSDP 13 September 1895, CSDP 04 October 1895) Clare City Roller Mills burned down (CSDP 23 August 1895) Clare Union Depot train station burned down (CSDP 25 January 1895, GCR 01 February 1895) |
| 1894 | Sunday school rally (CS1892 07 September 1894) Forest fires, “petty thieving” (CS1892 07 September 1894) Dodge “destroyed” by fire ($200,000 loss, 6 million feet of lumber loss, ) (CS1892 16 March 1982) |
| 1891 | City of Clare incorporated (CDP 06 March 1891) Calkins House built (CDP 30 October 1891) Clare school built (CDP 24 April 1891, CDP 13 November 1891, CDP 20 November 1891, CS 02 September 1938) |
| 1887 | First graduating class of Clare High School (1 student) (CS 16 June 1939) |
| 1886 | Hatton Township established (John Ott listed) (CCP 08 January 1886) |
| 1885 | Murder trial for Jim Carr (CCP 15 May 1855) |
| 1883 | First bank organized as State Savings Bank of Harrison (CCC 19 May 1955) |
| 1881 | Additional Clare schoolhouse built A. J. Doherty was teacher at Crawford School, Crawford School repaired (CCP 23 April 1881) Crawford School preferred charges against “school ma’am” (CCP 09 April 1881) |
| 1880 | A. J. Doherty was Superintendent of Schools (CCP 17 December 1880) Clare County Press announced its lack of political support for any member of the “Farwell Ring” (CCP 28 May 1880) |
| 1879 | First Christmas tree in Crawford Settlement (Dover) (CCP 02 January 1880) Temporary courthouse built in Harrison (log structure, later used as Harrison’s first school) (CCC 19 May 1955) First hotel in Harrison built by John Hatfield (CCP 19 September 1879, CCP 26 December 1879, CS 17 September 1909) County seat changed from Farwell to area of Budd Lake, afterward named Harrison (CCP 20 June 1879) Village of Clare incorporated (CCP 06 June 1879) |
| 1878 | Bears were “numerous” (CCP 18 October 1878) Nicolls House and Clare County Press office burned down (CCP 09 August 1878) A.J. Doherty & wife Alice arrived in Clare First newspaper published as Clare County Press (CCP 24 May 1878) Earliest mention of Farwell Ladies Library Association (CCP 14 June 1878) |
| 1877 | County Courthouse in Farwell burned, destroying records (CCC 19 May 1955) |
| 1872 | First formal funeral in Clare town was for Eunice Salsbury (CCC 19 May 1955) First Clare town schoolhouse built (enrollment 60-70 students) (CS 02 September 1938, CCC 19 May 1955) |
| 1871 | Clare County fully organized for judicial purposes (Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan 1871 pt.3) Clare town plat officially recorded |
| 1870 | Clare town platted by William & John McEwan, surveyed by J. M. Johnson (CCC 19 May 1955) First train arrived on Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad (CCC 19 May 1955) First store built in Clare town by Peter Callam (CCC 19 May 1955) First hotel built in Clare town (CCC 19 May 1955) First schoolhouse in county built in Crawford Settlement (CCP 14 June 1878) Grant Township organized, first in county (CCP 14 June 1878) |
| 1869 | First doctor was Dr. Maynard (CCC 19 May 1955) |
| 1868 | Earliest known cemetery burial was Eveline Wood (Wood Cemetery, Sheridan Township) Lumber industry began with Henry Hinkle (CCC 19 May 1955) |
| 1866 | White settlement started with Wilkins family (CCC 19 May 1955) and Crawford family (“Crawford Settlement”) (CCP 07 June 1878) |
| 1843 | Kaykakee County name changed to Clare County (Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan 1843) |
| 1840 | Kaykakee County established (Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan 1840) |
| 1837 | Surveying started by Henry Nickelson (CCC 19 May 1955) |
| 1836 | Treaty of Washington cession of land (United States Statutes at Large, Volume 7. 1846, 1962) (map, map, Tribal Treaties Database) |
| 1819 | Treaty of Saginaw cession of land (United States Statutes at Large, Volume 7. 1846, 1962) (map, Tribal Treaties Database, CMU Libraries blog) |
