Coldwater

Randall Hazelbaker

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2004
• Print ISBN: 9780738533254
• eBook ISBN: 9781439615096
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

The Coldwater area was first settled on the historic Sauk Trail in the 1830s. Coldwater became a village in 1837, and after the arrival of the railroads in the 1850s, it became a city in 1861. Majestic homes and buildings were constructed, churches and schools were established, and a vibrant community began to take shape. The 1900s brought more growth and challenges, as residents encountered the Great Depression, World War II, and subsequent eras of transition, renewal, and expansion. This book showcases a rare collection of historic images to document Coldwater's progress and development throughout the 20th century.

One

DOWNTOWN AND AROUND TOWN

DOWNTOWN COLDWATER. Disastrous fires in the downtown area in previous years prompted the first zoning law in 1854, which prohibited the construction of any frame (wood) building from Clay Street to the downtown parks, along West Chicago Street. For this reason, the downtown buildings are constructed completely of brick.

FIRST HOUSE IN COLDWATER. Hugh Campbell built the first log house in Coldwater in 1830. It was located on the northeast corner of East Chicago and North Hudson Streets (the Masonic Temple site). Joseph Hanchett built a log home a short time later on North Monroe Street, just north of West Chicago Street.

ALLEN TIBBITS. Co-founder of Coldwater, Rev. Allen Tibbits was born in 1804 in Lyons, New York. He married Caroline Stark in 1825 and moved to this area in 1831 with his two children. The family lived in the log house Hugh Campbell had built. His youngest child was a son named Barton, who later would give Coldwater its own opera house. Allen would live a long and interesting life, dying in 1891 at the age of 87.

COURTHOUSE, GREEK REVIVAL. Coldwater became the county seat of Branch County in 1842, and this first courthouse was built in 1848. It would be replaced by a much larger building in 1888, at the same location.

COUNTY JAIL, ITALIANATE. Shown is Branch County’s fifth county jail, built in 1875 at a cost of $18,358. Located at 31 Division Street, this building survived until the 1970s. The sixth county jail was built in 1957 and is located on East Pearl Street.

COURTHOUSE, 1888. The second courthouse for Branch County was designed by local architect M.H. Parker and built at a cost of $50,000. This impressive building featured a stately corner tower that housed a clock manufactured by the Howard Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, and a 3,500 pound bell manufactured by C.H. Meneely Co. of Troy, New York. This courthouse served the community well, until a tragic arson fire destroyed it on December 5, 1972.

COURTHOUSE FIRE, DECEMBER 5, 1972. An arsonist set the courthouse ablaze on the night of December 5, 1972. The building was a total loss, and was replaced by 1976. The clock and bell were salvaged and are now housed in a new appropriate tower, dedicated in July of 1988. (Photograph taken by and courtesy of Tom Miller.)

EDWIN R. CLARKE LIBRARY. E.R. Clarke was a prosperous downtown merchant who donated funds for a building to replace the town’s modest library, then located in a private home. Designed by local architect M.H. Parker, and costing $10,000, it opened in 1886, with Governor-elect Cyrus E. Luce among the distinguished guests at the ceremony. The librarian, Mary A. Eddy, achieved prominence in her field, and helped found the Michigan Library Association in 1891. In 1977, the library received an extensive remodeling and a large addition to the south of the building at a cost of $774,700.

BRANCH COUNTY EMPLOYEES. Taken on the courthouse steps July 29, 1938, this photograph depicts county government officials, deputies, and staff members.

Pictured in the first row, from left to right, are the following: F...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• One - DOWNTOWN AND AROUND TOWN
• Two - COMMUNITY LIFE
• Three - BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, AND TOURISM