Brethren, Michigan

Brethren is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located within Dickson Township, Manistee County, and is in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The community had a population of 331 at the 2020 census, down from 410 in 2010. The community is located in the Manistee National Forest, 18 mi northeast of Manistee. Brethren has a post office with ZIP code 49619.

History
Brethren was founded in 1900 by Samuel S. Thorpe as a colony of the German Baptist Brethren Church. A post office was established in 1901 with Thorpe as the first postmaster. The Pere Marquette Railway established a station here in 1901.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the community has an area of 1.31 mi2, of which 1.28 mi2 are land and 0.035 mi2 are water. Boswell Creek forms the northern edge of the community, flowing west to the Manistee River. Lake Eleanor and Center Lake are small water bodies on the east side of the community.

Notable resident

 * James Earl Jones, actor and original voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.