Eau Claire

Located in Berrien County in Southwest Michigan, Eau Claire is a small village of just .74 square miles. It is a growing community, and with plans to attract more retailers and entrepreneurs to the area, the flowers are not the only things blossoming in Eau Claire.

Pronounced “aw-claire,” although the original French pronunciation was “o-claire,” the village was first settled in 1835 by Henry Rush. He began a small operation planting crops, and that success led to rapid growth in the village. In 1861, it was officially established as a village, and a local post office was designated. Because of this, the town had to be officially named, and “Eau Claire,” French for “clear water” was chosen. The town continued to grow throughout the 30 years, and this led to its incorporation in 1891.

The Eau Claire Public School District serves the area, with three schools (elementary, middle and high school) for grades K-12. Eau Claire also offers preschool for four and five-year old students. The village is located just a short distance from Interstates 94 and 196, and daily Amtrak service is available in nearby Niles, with service to Chicago and Detroit.

Eau Claire is home to a number of public parks, which are filled almost year round. Veterans Park and Elizabeth Park are both home to pavilions which can be rented out by residents, as well as abundant playground equipment. Veterans Park also has a sledding hill, which is packed with fun-seekers of all ages in the winter months. The village has recently added lighting for night sledding, making it completely unique in Berrien County. The village is also home to a number of recreational fields, most notable the village ball fields, which are heavily used during the summer.