The family packed up and moved to the tiny California mining town of Whiskey Diggings in Sierra County, 85 miles from Marysville.

[2] Dr. Burton soon tired of the rugged mining life, and in 1854 the family left Whiskey Diggings and sailed for the east coast.

[2] Hundreds of passengers drowned, but all the Burtons survived; they returned to San Francisco, staying there until 1855, when they sailed back to New York to reunite with Annie's family.

[4] Dr. Burton started another newspaper, the Hastings Banner (which is still published today) in addition to reviving his medical practice.

[4] Clarence Burton grew up in Hastings, attending the local public schools there until 1869, when he followed his brother Charles to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

[6] On November 19, 1874, the day after his twenty-first birthday, Burton was licensed to practice law in Wayne County, Michigan.

[22] Burton revered his collection, but he welcomed scholars, or even casual researchers, to use his library, even going so far as to advertise its availability in the City Directory.

[22] In 1895, he turned his attention to writing histories, beginning with A Sketch of the Life of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, Founder of Detroit, which was published that year.

[23] Burton continued to collect books and manuscripts throughout his life, slowing down in the mid-aughts when original material became scarce.

[27] In 1907, he spent copious time involved with the 1907 State Constitutional Convention,[28] and in 1913 sat on the Detroit Charter Commission.

[28] In 1913, as a result of his keen interest in local history, Burton was elected to the Michigan Historical Commission, a membership he also held until his death.

[28] In 1915, Burton built a new house on Boston Boulevard in Boston-Edison which boasted fireproof steel and concrete construction.

[29] At the same time, Burton gave his book collection to the Detroit Public Library, along with the deed to his Brainard Street residence.

He became seriously ill for several months, and on Sunday, October 23, 1932, Clarence Monroe Burton suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died.