Situated on the southern banks of Cedar Creek, Cedar is an unincorporated community in Solon Township, Leelanau County, in the northwestern segment of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
The main routes through the community is East Bellinger Road and South Cedar Road (South Kasson Street). Maple City is 3.3 miles to the west, Lake Ann is 12.8 miles to the south, Traverse City is 14.4 miles southeast, Empire is 21.1 miles west, and Sutton's Bay is 28.3 miles north-northeast of Cedar.
Before the founding of Cedar, a Polish community was formed in the Cedar area, in Centerville Township, to the north. There were three small settlements - Schomberg, Bodus, and Isadore - each only one or two miles apart, in the tradition of Polish settlements of that day. As the first generation retired from the farm and other Polish immigrants came into the area, many of them settled in the largest Polish community, then known as Cedar City, in Solon Township.
Cedar City was founded by Benjamin Boughey, who started a lumbering business there around 1885. He named the community Cedar City, as it was located in a cedar forest. In order to transport forest products from the region, the Manistee and Northeastern Railroad established a depot in Cedar City.
On August 15, 1893, a post office was established at Cedar City, with Frederick McFall as postmaster. Although the post office was named Cedar, the depot continued to be called Cedar City.
Cedar State Bank opened in 1905 but, although it survived the Great Depression, it closed in the late 1930s.
Cedar is unincorporated but it is a census-designated place, so it has defined boundaries for purpose of the census. Never a large town, today Cedar has a population under one hundred, although its post office is still in operation. Although the names of Cedar residents and businesses no longer reflect its Polish heritage, the community continues to host Cedar's Polka Festival, a tradition that began in 1975.
Approropriate topics for this guide include businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, and events in Cedar, or which carry a Cedar post office address.
Recommended Resources
The hydroponic farm and taco stand is located in Cedar, Michigan. With an emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices and a strong connection to the community, the family farm grows a variety of fruits and vegetables. Schedules and a menu for the taco stand are posted, along with its seasonal roadside market, and promotional for Hydro-Stacker, a hydroponic vertical gardening system for which Cedar Sol is a Michigan distributor. A gallery of photographs is included.
https://cedarsolhydrofarm.com/
Faith Missionary Baptist Church
The local, independent Missionary Baptist Church is located on East Hoxie Road in Cedar, Michigan, a mile north of the M-72 windmill. Directions and a map show the location of the church, and its regular service hours, mailing address, telephone number, and email address are posted to the site, which also includes a statement of beliefs, calendar of events, audio sermon archives, an introduction to the pastor, and links to other Missionary Baptist churches.
http://www.fmbcoftc.com/
Located on the campus of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, near Cedar, on Northern Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula, the Roman Catholic religious goods store stocks rosaries, scapulars, Catholic bibles, prayer books, Roman missals, Catholic greeting cards, crucifixes, religious art, Holy Water fonts, Catholic books, CDs, and DVDs, statues, medals, and devotional items, and may be able to accommodate special orders, rosary repairs, and recycling.
http://www.holyrosarybooksandgifts.com/
Part of the Diocese of Gaylord, the Roman Catholic church is in Cedar, Michigan. The history of the church is told, weekly parish bulletins are available for downloading, and the parish staff is introduced, along with office hours and contacts, a calendar of events, faith formation schedules, mass, and other sacraments. Updates from the pastor are posted to the site, and the Knights of the Altar, Men’s Holy League, and St. Padre Pio Adoration Chapel are discussed.
https://www.holyrosarycedar.org/
Promoting the shops and businesses of Cedar, Michigan, as well as the village itself, the site features a history of the community, a map of the village, information and schedules for the annual Polka Festival, and updates on the Cedar River Marina Project, as well as several businesses located in the village, including photos, logos, a description of each, the names of proprietors, business addresses, telephone numbers and, when available, website links.
http://cedarmichigan.biz/
