Reuben Lake was born in 1839 in Canada, moving to Illinois with his
     family when he was 16, and after service with the Union Army emigrating
     to Mission near Erie in eastern Kansas, but later on to Barber County.
     In April of 1873, together with ten companions which included a younger
     brother, Frederick, as well as his son Riely, he came to Barber County.
     There he erected a sawmill to obtain lumber for the houses which were
     built. The families came in August but returned to Mission because of
     an Indian scare, immediately turning around as soon as the scare was
     over.
       From then on the history of Reuben Lake and that of Lake City was
     inevitably mixed. Reuben in the fall of 1873 was appointed the first
     postmaster of Lake City, mail being brought from Medicine Lodge by
     horseback. The first postoffice, along with a store, was in Reuben's
     home. In the 1880's he built a large, two story building of locally
     fired soft brick, still standing, which contained a large room for a
     store, several store rooms, as well as an opera room. In one of the
     rooms the Lake City Prairie Dog was published weekly. Several homes
     as well as a schoolhouse were built of the same native brick. When the
     county was organized he was elected sheriff. He also served as County
     Commissioner. By the late 80's he had built a large building for a
     hardware and a mortuary, a furniture store, a wagon maker's establishment,
     a wind driven grist mill as well as a two story, 20 room hotel. The hotel
     was operated for the most part by his wife, Mary, until it burned in 1897.
     Reuben also promoted the first bridge across the Medidicine River south
     of Lake City enabling the people in the south of the county to get to town.
       He made the run to the "Strip: in 1893 along with his daughter Irene
     securing a half section of land near Medford, Oklahoma, which he farmed
     until returned to Lake City in 1904. At the time of the run many Barber
     County residents also left, many on securing a claim moving their houses
     from Kansas. Reuben, on returning, built eight rental houses preparing 
     for the building of the railroad. He also remodeled a large store building,
     erected a residence, and started a general store which he ran until his
     death in 1917. At various times he had stores in Coats, Sun City, and
     Aetna as well.
       Riley Lake, his son, came to Barber County in 1873 when but ten years
     old, driving a wagon for his father. In the early 1880's he brought horses
     from San Antonio to Lake City. In 1884 he started a stage line between
     Medicine Lodge and Coldwater offering daily service to passengers and mail.
     Later he had a stage route between Syracuse and Richfield, and after the
     strip opened a route out of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Riley Lake was County
     Commissioner for over twenty years. He operated a large farm and ranch
     around and south of Lake City until his death in 1934. In 1895 he was
     married to Pearl TAcket who died in 1948.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 268