Bitely, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bitely, Michigan
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 Bitely, Michigan
Location in Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Newaygo |
| Township | Lilley |
| Elevation | 866 ft (264 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
49309
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| Area code(s) | 231 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1619222 |
Bitely is a small, quiet place in Michigan, United States. It's not a city or a town with its own government. Instead, it's called an unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that are part of a larger township, Lilley Township.
Bitely is located in Newaygo County, Michigan. It is also found within the beautiful Manistee National Forest. This area is known for its many lakes. You can find Bitely Lake, Lamoreaux Lake, Isaac Lake, and Houseman Lake nearby. There are also several other smaller lakes in the area.
History of Bitely
Bitely started as a stop along a railroad line. In 1889, it became a station for the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad. This railroad line later changed names several times. It became the Pere Marquette Railroad, then the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and is now known as Marquette Rail.
How Bitely Got Its Name
The community of Bitely was named after a man named Steven Bitely. He built a sawmill in the area. A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into lumber. This was an important business in the late 1800s.
The Post Office
Bitely also got its own post office on September 13, 1889. Archer D. Martin was the very first postmaster. A postmaster is the person in charge of a post office. Interestingly, when the post office was first set up, its name was spelled "Biteley" by mistake. This was a simple typing error.
Bitely Homecoming Parade
Every year, the community of Bitely holds a special event. It's called the Bitely Homecoming parade. This fun parade takes place on the third Saturday of July. It's a time for people to gather and celebrate their community.
