Editing Bethel Township, Michigan (section)

== Communities ==
There are no incorporated municipalities within the township.
* '''Bethel''' is an [[Unincorporated area#United States|unincorporated community]] in the southeast corner of the township at {{Coord|41|49|58|N|85|04|25|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS|name=Bethel, Michigan}}.<ref>{{gnis|1625051|Bethel, Michigan}}</ref> It was first settled in 1830. A post office opened on April 30, 1857, and operated until November 30, 1905.<ref>{{gnis|1625558|Bethel Post Office (historical)}}</ref><ref name="Romig">{{cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter  | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | orig-year= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | isbn = 0-8143-1838-X}}</ref>
* '''Hatmaker''' is an unincorporated community near the center of the township at {{Coord|41|50|51|N|85|07|17|W|region:US-MI_type:city_scale:30000_source:GNIS|name=Hatmaker, Michigan}}.<ref>{{gnis|1617611|Hatmaker, Michigan}}</ref> The settlement was named for the pioneer Hatmaker family, which included Aaron, the cider-maker, and Peter, the grocer and first postmaster. A post office operated from May 23, 1887, until August 31, 1894, and from January 5, 1899, until June 15, 1900.<ref name="Romig"/><ref>{{gnis|2435397|Hatmaker Post Office (historical)}}</ref>
* '''Snow Prairie''' is a historical locale and former post office near the center of the township. Eleazar Snow from [[New England]] settled here in 1830 near the northwest corner of [[section (United States land surveying)|section]] 16.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Crisfield |title=History of Branch county, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers |orig-year=1879 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/BAD0864.0001.001 |access-date=2008-09-12 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=278–79 |chapter=Bethel Township |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=full%20text;idno=BAD0864.0001.001;didno=BAD0864.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000364 }}</ref> The place became known as Snow Prairie, although Snow sold his holdings to Moses Olmstead in 1831. Because of its location, a post office named Bethel Centre was established on March 1, 1867. It was renamed Snow Prairie on September 19, 1867, and operated until June 15, 1869.<ref name="Romig"/><ref>{{gnis|2435362|Snow Prairie Post Office (historical)}}</ref>
* The city of [[Bronson, Michigan|Bronson]] is adjacent to the west on [[U.S. Route 12 in Michigan|U.S. Highway 12]], which cuts through the northwest corner of the township. The Bronson ZIP code 49028 serves areas in western and southern Bethel Township.<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=86000US49028&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=AdvSearch&_lang=en 49028 5-Digit ZCTA, 490 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census</ref>
* The city of [[Coldwater, Michigan|Coldwater]] is to the northeast, and the Coldwater ZIP code 49036 serves areas in northern and eastern Bethel Township.<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/MapItDrawServlet?geo_id=86000US49036&_bucket_id=50&tree_id=420&context=AdvSearch&_lang=en 49036 5-Digit ZCTA, 490 3-Digit ZCTA - Reference Map - American FactFinder]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 census</ref>