Randall Hazelbaker: 3 books

Branch County, home to the historic communities of Bronson, Union City, Quincy, Coldwater, and Sherwood, was named for John Branch, President Jackson�s Secretary of the Navy. The original county seat was Masonville, in 1830, followed by the Village of Branch in 1831, and finally, Coldwater, in 1842....

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...

In 1831, Rev. Allen Tibbits and Joseph Hanchett arrived in the area that would become Coldwater. Together, they platted out a village and named it Lyons after their hometown in New York. Potawatomi Indians called the area �chuck-sey-ya-bish,� which translated to �cold water,� and within two years...