St. Johns or Saint Johns The population was 7,698 at the 2020 census.

St. Johns is located in the north of Clinton County, surrounded by Bingham Township (although the two are administered independently). St. Johns is about north of Lansing, Michigan's capital city, and is part of the Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area. St. Johns has been nicknamed the "Mint Capital of the World".

History

St. Johns was conceived as a station for the Detroit and Milwaukee Railway in late 1853. The location lie in a forest in Bingham Township, and the site was cleared and settled by the middle of 1854.

The settlement was named after Michigan Auditor-General John Swegles, who was part of the party sent to scout a site for the station. The city is situated in Bingham Township, but is administratively autonomous.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, St. Johns had a population of 7,698. The median age was 40.3 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.8 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,306 households in St. Johns, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.0% were married-couple households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 7,865 people, 3,147 households, and 2,011 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,451 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 1.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.6% of the population.

There were 3,147 households, of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city is 37.2. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

Culture

The Wilson Center Auditorium on Cass Street puts on rock concerts and theatrical productions throughout the year. To date, they have brought in acts such as David Dondero, Hailey Wojcik, and Doug Mains and the City Folk.

Mint production

Near the turn of the century, high demand for mint oil in medicines and candy from companies like Wrigley caused a surge in demand for mint farming. The rich, organic, muck soil of Clinton County makes the area around St. Johns particularly well-suited for mint farming. As a result, many mint farmers cultivated mint. The Crosby Mint Farm, established by J.E. Crosby in 1912, claims to be the oldest continuously family-operated mint farm in the United States.

Today Clinton County ranks first in Michigan in regards to total mint production.

St. Johns is known as the Mint City and has been called "The Mint Capital of the World."

Each year since 1985, St. Johns celebrates its mint farming heritage with the St. Johns Mint Festival. The festival typically takes place on the second weekend in August.

Transportation

Highways

  • connects north to Mt. Pleasant, and Grayling. Southward, it passes through Lansing and Jackson en route to Ohio. It provides a direct connection to I-69 and I-96.
  • is a business loop traveling through the city.
  • is an east-west highway passing through the city, connecting to Grand Rapids, approximately to the west, and Flint, about to the east.

Airports

  • Scheduled passenger air carrier flights are available from Capital Region International Airport, in south-central Clinton County.

Notable people

  • Robert Asprin, science fiction and fantasy author
  • Roy Beechler, football player and coach
  • Leo Burnett, advertising executive
  • Myrtelle Canavan, pathologist, discovered Canavan Disease
  • Voltairine de Cleyre, anarchist writer and feminist
  • Eric Esch, commonly referred to as Butterbean, former fighter
  • The Houghton brothers, creators of Big City Greens
  • Andrew Kehoe, perpetrator of the Bath School Disaster
  • Philip Orin Parmelee, aviator
  • Oliver L. Spaulding, Civil War general in the 23rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, politician, and regent of the University of Michigan
  • Oliver Lyman Spaulding, U.S. Army brigadier general

| The East Ward School was constructed in 1876 from plans by Bay City architect Oliver Hidden. It was unusual for its size and its elaborate brickwork. In 1976 the school was named Teresa Merrill School in honor of longtime local educator Teresa A. Merrill. The school building has been replaced with a housing development and a preschool.

|-

| Paine-Gillam-Scott House

| 100px

| 106 Maple St.

|

|

| N/A

| Lured by the railroad, John W. Paine (1821–1870) moved from the nearby Rochester Colony to St. Johns. In 1860 he built the town's first brick store and this house. The office was later added to this site. Dr. Samuel Gillam (1845–1908) remodeled the house in 1883. In 1904 he was joined by Dr. Walter M. Scott (1875–1934), who practiced here until his death. The Clinton County Historical Society restored the house in 1978 and the office in 1986.

|-

| Henry M. Perrin-Dr. Henry Palmer House

| 100px

| 903 N. Clinton Ave.

|

| N/A

| N/A

|

|-

| St. John's Church

| 100px

| 400 E. Walker St.

|

| The Union School was a state-of-the-art school when it was built in 1885. It served as a school for the St. Johns district until 1986. The building has been replaced with a housing development.

|-

| Steel Hotel †

| 100px

| West side of N. Clinton Ave.

|

| N/A

| N/A

| Built by prominent local businessman Robert M. Steel in 1887. At the time the hotel was built, and for many years later, the building was considered one of the finest hotels in the state. The building famously burned down in 1975.

|-

| Giles J. Gibbs Building

| 100px

| 12 N. Clinton Ave.

| N/A

| N/A

|

| Constructed in 1867, this building was originally home to a grocer. It is most notable for being home to the former Sugar Bowl Restaurant. The interior remains set up as a confectionery and soda fountain to this day.

|}

Sites marked with a dagger (†) have been demolished.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, St. Johns has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Crime rate

Crime in St. Johns is significantly lower when compared to the national average, and average-to-high when compared to surrounding cities.

Violent Crime Rate in 2012 (higher number means more dangerous)

  • U.S. Average: 214
  • St. Johns: 95.5
  • Laingsburg: 279.8
  • Ovid: 58.9
  • Elsie: 79.6
  • Dewitt: N/A
  • Lansing: 422.7

Reported Incidents from 2001–2012 in St. Johns, MI:

  • Rape: 35
  • Arson: 9
  • Motor vehicle theft: 70
  • Assault: 55
  • Burglaries : 366

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Clinton County, Michigan
  • List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Clinton County

References

  • Clinton County Arts Council
  • Clinton Northern Railway