The Village of Clintonville is in the north east part of Waterford Township, with the north part of the village being in section 2 and the south part of the village being in section 11, at the south end of what was called Pond Lake, today it is called Lake Oakland. The first land owners of the land which would later become the village of Clintonville were, Samuel C. Munson, who came about 1830 , James Ten Eyck, of Monmouth County, NJ, purchased 40 acres of land in the south east 1/4 of the south east 1/4 of section 2, on Jun 27, 1835, which would later become the north east part of the village and Jacob L. Osmun, from Tompkins County, NY, he purchased the south west 1/4 of the south east 1/4 of section 2, on Oct 12, 1835, which would later become the north west part of the village.

Samuel C. Munson, according to Samuel W. Durant, as written in his History Of Oakland County Michigan, was the first settler in the village of Clintonville, Mr. Munson's first house was a rude log structure, about 1834 he build a frame house to live in. James TenEyck, who was a general in the War of 1812, also build a frame house, this house was still standing until it was razed in the 1990s, when the properity was sold to build a subdivision. Samuel Munson, left and by 1850 he was living in Flint, Genesee County, Michigan, he was an Inn Keeper, in 1860, Samuel was running a boarding house in Saginaw, Saginaw County, Michigan, in 1870 and 1880 census, Samuel is living in Buena Vista, Saginaw County, Michigan, he there died Apr 8, 1888 and is buried with his second wife Suzette, in Brady Hill Cemetery, Saginaw County, Michigan. Samuel's first wife, Lucy Clark, died Feb 14, 1845 in Oakland County, Michigan, Lucy is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan.

Samuel C. Munson built dam a mill race just to the west of the river that flowed out of Pond Lake, and another dam across the river that flowed out of Pond Lake, He sold these mills to John Osmun Sr.in 1836, John Osmun Sr. purchased considerable land in the area, however never live here in Michigan, he purchased the mills for his sons John and Israel. The Osmun brothers owened the mills until 1845, when they sold them to Dr. George Williams, who had just built a mill in the village of Waterford, Mr Williams died before he could complete the new mill in Clintonville. After the passing of Dr. Williams, his son-in-law James Gow and William Stiff operated the mill for several more years.

Isaac Osmun open the first store in the village, followed by James Gow, who built a second store. The first blacksmith shop was opened by Frederick Barkman, around 1838, after he sold his shop, he moved to Rose Township, where he later died and is buried. A shoe shop was opened by Edward Millholland, a wagon shop was open by William Drewatt, who later moved to White lake, in 1838 Dodge and Sheldon opened a cabinet shop, about that same time, James Swartz built a hotel. The village was plotted out in 1847 into small lots by John and Israel Osmun, however by 1877, the hotel, shoe and cabinet shops were gone, about the only thing remaining were the mills. As you can see by the 1909 map of the Village of Clintonville, the Flour mill and the old school house is all that remains. Most likely, the main reason that this village did not flourish, the railraod did not pass through here, instead it went through Drayton Plains and over to Waterford village.

At one time Clintonville had a post office within the general store, it was closed about 1910, the mail after that was carried by the Drayton plains post office. The school, which still stands today, is on the south side of the intersection of Walton Blvd. and Clintonville Rd. It has had a couple of additions over the years, I believe it stopped serving as a school in the mid 1950s. For a few years it served as the senior center for Waterford Township, and later it became a daycare for children, which currently still is.I was told years ago, that in the early 1920s, the flour mill was taken down.

Back in the early 1980s, and friend and I swam in the river, just off of the dam on the east side, I can remember seeing large timbers next to the dam, we both thought that they were from an old barn, later I found out, they were part of the old saw mill that once stood there. On the other side of the mill race were more timbers, and those were from the old flour mill, that had been taken down about 60 years before. The village never had a cemetery, the people that lived here were either buried in Drayton Plains Cemetery or Oak Hill Cemetery, in Pontiac.

By the early 1920s very little was left to even show there was a village, about 1926, the road, which was part of Main St., turned to the south a little, crossed over the river and connected backup at what is today Clintonville Rd. and was named Walton Blvd. Main Street today is nothing more than a dead end street, which is part of Lake Oakland Heights subdivision. The only other street to survive was Barkman St, on the east side of the old village, off of which is today Clintonville Rd. Before 1930, most of the land around the cove, at the south end of Lake Oakland was owned by E. Dendy, the area along the western lake shore, was purchased and later became a summer camp for children, owned by the Ukrainian Catholic Church, the east part of Denby's properity, was divided up into lots, and houses built. The summer camp was there until the mid 1990s, when the church lost it in a lawsuit, because of an injury that occured on the property during a company picnic. The land was later sold and a subdivision was built on the land. A house that was built by one of the Osmun brothers, was burned for a training exercise for the Waterford Fire Dept.

The north west part of the village, later became Lake Oakland Heights subdivision, built during the years 1956-59. the property on the south west end of the village was wet swampy land. If you look at the 1896 map The road listed as Pontiac St. is what later became Clintonville Rd. During the years between 1955-60, many subdivisions were built, today only a few businesses are located along Walton Blvd. in what could be considered part of the old village of Clintonville.

The old school still stands across from Clintonville Rd. on the south side of Walton Blvd, and currently is a child day care center, back in the 1950s, a small store was built, in the south east corner of the intersection of Clintonville Rd. and Walton Blvd, it was a Richardsons Farm Dairy, later was purchased and became a Hoppin convenience store, and after that it became Lakevine Food Mart. In the early 1980s, a Community Natonal bank was built just to the east of Lakevine Food Mart, when that bank went out of business, it became a T & C Credit Union, which later merged with Genisys Credit Union, which is what it is today. To the west of Lakevine Food Mart, a business called Eagle Mortgage, which later became Liberty Credit Union, that building has been a few different businesses over the years, today it is Senior Enrollment Solutions.

By 1963, there were three gas stations, two at the intersection of Walton Blvd. and Clintonville Rd., one being on the east side and the other on the west, when I moved into the area in 1976, the gas station on the east side was closed, and was later torn down to make way for Eagle Mortgage, the other on the west side was a Marathon, which was owned by the Williams family, who also ran the Quick Pix down the road to the west and also were the care takers fo the Ukrainian Catholic Camp, that gas station closed down in the late 1980s, and became the Ring and Pinion Shop and still is today. The third gas stattion was Kayo Gas,later that became a Marathon, then a Dandy, was changed twice after that before again becoming a Marathon once again.

Just to the west of the old Kayo Gas, is a set of four small stores, the store on the east end, was in 1976, Quick Pix, that set of buildings was sold out in the mid 1980s, the old Quick Pix had been a party store under many different names, two of which were Walton Market and Mark's Market, after its party store days were over, it became a job placement center, a day care for children, and later the store was split into two stores, one became a florest and the other a Thai restaurant, The store that was in the middle has always been, Sir Pizza, the store on the west end was once an ice cream parlor, a card shop, it remained empty for many years and finally Salon Charles occupied the location.

Although the village of Clintonville is still listed on the maps today, for many that drive down through this location , have no idea that at one time it was a small village, it goes to show anyone , that with the passage of time, things can be forgotten.

*Other notes: John and Israel Osmun were the children of John Osmun and Mary Linderman,, John Osmun jr. was born May 8, 1800 in Tompkins county, New York, and died in 1856, in Montcalm County, Michigan, he is buried in Forest Home Cemetery, in Greenville, Montcalm County, Michigan, John married Margaret Newman born abt. 1800 in Pennsylvania, died in 1865, Montcalm County, Michigan, buried with her husband, she is the daughter of Henry Newman and Mary Klugerin.

Israel Osmun was born Apr 12, 1802 in Cayuga County, New York, died Feb 4, 1878 in Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan, he was married twice, first to Veronica Staples, born Jul 6, 1803 in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, died Mar 19, 1869 in Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan, and he married second to Susanna Fenner, born 1814 in Pennsylvania, died Oct 9, 1878, Israel and his first wife are buried in Drayton Plains Cemetery, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan, his second wife Susanna is buried in Waterford Center Cemetery, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan, with her first husband, Philip Buzzard.

James Gow, he was born abt. 1820 in New York, he married Lucy, born abt. 1803 in New York, they had the following children; Elizabeth,William, and Frank. James was living in Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan in 1850, he was a wagon maker.

Dr. George Williams was born Feb 27, 1793, died Mar 16, 1845 in Waterford, Oakland County, Michigan, he married Lois Francis, she was born Jun 8, 1808 in Massachusetts and died Dec 7, 1879, she is the daughter of William Francis and Lois Butler. Dr. George and his wife are buried in Drayton Plains Cemetery, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan.

William Derwatt was born Dec 27, 1818 in England, died Mar 24, 1910 in Commerce Township, Oakland County, Michigan, he was the son of William H. Drewatt and Anna Thorp.William married Harriet C. Macomber, she was born Jul 16, 1825 in New york, died Nov 21, 1906 in Commerce Township, Oakland County, Michigan, she is the daughter of Jessie Macomber and Mary Bassett, Both William and Harriet are buried in Commerce Village Cemetery.