Filer Township History

Filer Charter Township is located on Lake Michigan in Manistee County’s southwestern corner, just south of the City of Manistee. It’s largest community is Filer City, which is located on the south side of Manistee Lake. This area is a continuation of the greater Manistee community. It contains a significant industrial base, including paper products and salt processing. This is a very scenic area that overlooks Manistee Lake to the east.

This community was founded by Delos L. Filer who built a saw mill here with his sons in 1867. In 1883, a railroad line was built here to accommodate the heavy lumbering in the area. The station was originally nicknamed: "Filer’s Switch."