Reeder Township and the family that named it

Daniel and William Reeder came with four other men to look for homes in Missaukee County in 1867. The next year, Daniel and another member of the group put up one of the first buildings beside Muskrat Lake, the water we now call Lake Missaukee. More settlers followed, and the little place became known as Reeder after Daniel.

The Reeder post office opened in 1872. In 1873, the settlement won the county-seat vote over Falmouth. Local accounts disagree about the margin, so the useful fact is the result: the courthouse moved to Reeder. The community changed its name to Lake City in 1877.

The township kept the old name. That is why a modern map puts Reeder Township beside Lake City even though the settlement called Reeder disappeared from the map: one name changed, and the other stayed put.

It is a small naming wrinkle, but a useful one when reading old records. A reference to Reeder may mean Daniel, the early settlement, the post office, or the township. After 1877, Lake City is the name to use for the community by the lake.