Reed City, MI

Reed City is Osceola County's seat, a city whose street plan grew out of lumber and railroads. James M. Reed and his partners settled the site in 1870, and the city incorporated in 1875. The Flint & Pere Marquette and Grand Rapids & Indiana railroads reached town in 1872, creating the crossroads that pushed lumber, mills, and factory work into the center. Park Street was laid out to connect one city park to another, and the courthouse now stands on land Reed donated.

Reed City's county-seat role dates to 1927, but the Hersey River and the timber era still shape the local picture. A dozen mills and factories once supported the timber trade, while older downtown buildings and houses retain wood floors made at Horner's Mill. At the Reed City Heritage Museum on West Slosson Avenue, the hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” is associated with Reverend George Bennard. County government, river geography, rail history, and the museum all meet in the same town.