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Clifford, Michigan is a small village in northern Lapeer County, bordering Tuscola County, which is within the Thumb region of the Lower Peninsula. It is within Burlington Township but administered autonomously.

Indian Creek and the South Clifford Drain flow through the village.

The main routes through Clifford are Clifford Road and Lake Pleasant Road, which intersect in the lower portion of the village. Kingston Road leads north from the village. Marlette Road forms the northern boundary of the village, while Haight Road forms its southern boundary. Marlette is 5.8 miles east of Clifford, North Branch is 7.1 miles south, Kingston is 7.6 miles north, Mayville is 9.5 miles west, and Brown City is 15.5 miles to the southeast.

When Clifford first appeared on a census in 1890, its population was 306, and it had a population of 324 at the time of the 2010 census. Its lowest population was 293 in 1930, and its peak population was 472 in 1970.

Clifford was once busier than it is today, but it has always been a small town. There are no operating schools in Clifford, but the old schoolhouse still stands. It hosts a branch of the Lapeer District Library, open for limited hours, and the upper floor includes two of the former classrooms, which are being renovated for historical purposes. The playground is still in use, and there is a skate park in the rear.

The village is smaller than it once was, but still includes a couple of churches, a restaurant, car wash, laundromat, and a small factory, as well as the village hall and fire department.

Although there were earlier land purchases in the Burlington Township, the first recorded European-American settlers came around 1854. The first building erected in the area that was to become Clifford was built by Arden W. Lyman in 1862. It serves as his home, as well as a store. On April 23, 1864, a post office was established at Lyman's store, with Mr. Lyman as the first postmaster. Although the post office was closed on July 1, 1867, it was restored on October 31 of the same year, only to be closed again on July 9, 1877, and again restored on February 27, 1878.

The Port Huron & Northwestern Railway extended its track through the village in 1882, creating a divide between North Clifford and South Clifford, which soon had seven general stores, three grocery stores, two hardware stores, two drug stores, two furniture stores, three hotels, four blacksmith shops, two sawmills, a gristmill, and two churches. By the early 1900s, Clifford had an opera house, a school, a pickle factory, and a cheese factory. Nevertheless, Clifford never had a large resident population.

As a residential community, it has much to offer families, however.

The focal point of this category is the village of Clifford. Appropriate resources include websites representing the village or any individuals, businesses, industries, churches, organizations, attractions, or events within the village, or the area served by the Clifford post office.

 

 

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