Thank you for the historic Holcomb home and property article (“Historic home sold; memories remain,” Clarkston News, Feb. 8, 2023).
Since Butler Holcomb building the 1830s sawmill and trenching the mile-and-a-half long ditch on the east branch of the Clinton River for waterpower, the Mill Pond has thrived for two centuries as a focal point of Clarkston. In the late 1800s, the Clarkston Mill Pond was a gathering place for local people and Detroit area vacationers.
By the 1920s, spectacular homes, vacation cottages, and retirement residences were built on the Mill Pond. Henry Ford later used the Mill Pond’s waterpower for a manufacturing plant. Throughout the years, the Mill Pond has brought people together for walking, swimming, picnicking, fishing, canoeing, ice skating, and socializing at community events and festivals.
Thank you to the Clarkston City Council and City Manager Jonathan Smith for seeking long-term solutions for the dam and, ultimately, the conservation of the Mill Pond. The city’s collaboration with the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy and Oakland County Water Resource Commission, as well as the grant application, are steps in a positive direction. The Mill Pond is a fondly treasured natural resource and historical site.
I encourage Clarkston civic leaders, residents, and Mill Pond property owners to explore options for perpetual maintenance and conservation of the Clarkston Mill Pond.
Has anyone considered fund raising, even a “Go Fund Me” page for the Mill Pond preservation? There must be a solution for the Clarkston Mill Pond preservation whether it be an ongoing collaboration with the Clinton River Watershed Council or a new pond foundation.
Losing the Clarkston Mill Pond would be a tragedy, taking away a memorable natural asset to the community.
Let the Clarkston Mill Pond create treasured memories for years to come.
Gail Innis
Waterford