Reese

History

The area of what is the village of Reese today was first settled in 1865 when Mrs. Louisa Woodruff and her son built the first home (near the current intersection of Reese and Saginaw roads.) The Saginaw-Watrousville plank road was opened in 1871, which increased access to the community from Saginaw and the surrounding area. In 1873, the Detroit and Bay City railroads were built and Hudson B. Blackman plotted a tract of land adjacent to the original community (near the current intersection of Saginaw and Meridian streets) and named it Reese, in honor of Alvin H. Reese the railroad superintendent. William B. Stark was born in 1831 in New York and came to Denmark, Tuscola County, in 1865. Six brothers and one sister came to live with him in the following years. They lived in tents in the dense forest of the area in what is now Camp Street. In 1873, William's brother, Joseph, came to the area and opened a hotel near the corner of Reese and Saginaw roads. He was the fourth family to move to the area, with the others being his brother, the Woodruffs, and the Rogerses. In the fall of 1865, A.W. Gates, a stage proprietor from Saginaw, established a plank road from East Saginaw, through Reese, and into Watrousville. In 1871, Gates established a mail and stage route along the plank road. Gates kept his express and stage offices in Rogers’ hotel. The post office was also in Rogers’ hotel. The post office was named Gates in 1871 after the man responsible for its establishment. In the fall of 1871, Daniel Woodruff opened a grocery and provision store across the street from the hotel, and George Melatt and Archie Scott opened a blacksmith shop. In September 1872, Asenath M. Rogers, Roberts’ wife, surveyed and platted eleven acres and called it Gates. In 1873, G. W. Reese…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,940
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,878
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,693
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,674
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,667
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,584
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,467
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,408

Largest nearby schools

• Vassar Senior High School
  High · VASSAR · 481 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Reese Elementary School
  Elementary · REESE · 342 students · 18:1 ratio
• Central School
  Elementary · VASSAR · 335 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Reese High School
  High · REESE · 257 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• AkronFairgrove JrSr High School
  High · FAIRGROVE · 167 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Reese Middle School
  Middle · REESE · 148 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• Pioneer Work and Learn Center
  High · VASSAR · 74 students · 24.7:1 ratio