County note shelf
Branch County Porch Notes
Stories, practical details, outdoor places, tax quirks, and local history connected to Branch County. This shelf has 4 practical notes and 14 local stories.
18 notes
Read the county shelf
- OutdoorsColdwater Lake State Park, the quiet oneAn undeveloped 400-acre state park on Coldwater Lake's south shore in Kinderhook Township, kept rustic for walk-in hunting and fishing.
- History and cultureColdwater's State Public School for childrenMichigan opened a pioneering state home for orphaned and dependent children in Coldwater in 1874, built on a cottage system other states later copied.
- History and cultureQuincy borrowed its name from MassachusettsWhen the community split from Coldwater Township in 1836, Dr. Hiram Allen suggested naming it after his Massachusetts hometown.
- History and cultureThe Branch County bell that was saved twiceColdwater's 1887 courthouse bell and clock survived a 1972 arson fire and were rebuilt into a freestanding tower, dedicated in 1988.
- History and cultureThe Little River Railroad steam trainA volunteer nonprofit runs a 1911 Baldwin steam locomotive on excursion trips from Coldwater to Quincy, with the engine turned by hand at the layover.
- OutdoorsThe Sauk River and the chain of lakesThe Sauk River drains Branch County's Coldwater chain of lakes from Marble Lake's outflow, eventually feeding the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan.
- History and cultureThe Wing House Museum in ColdwaterAn 1875 Second Empire mansion on Coldwater's Marshall Street, kept by one family for three generations and now the county historical society's museum.
- History and cultureUnion City's early iron furnaceAn 1847 furnace at Union City produced what was reportedly the first iron smelted from Michigan ore, then pivoted to making plows when bog iron proved too poor.
- History and cultureWho Branch County is named forBranch County was laid out in 1829 and named for John Branch of North Carolina, Andrew Jackson's secretary of the navy, who never set foot in Michigan.
- History and cultureWhy Bronson calls itself the Gladiola CapitalUS-12 heritage materials trace Bronson's Gladiola Capital nickname to local farms that grow gladiolus for distribution.
- History and cultureColdwater and the old Chicago RoadColdwater grew up on the old Chicago Road, with a historic downtown and the restored Tibbits Opera House.
- History and cultureThe Capri Drive-InThe Capri Drive-In west of Coldwater is a Magocs-family theater, a National Register landmark, and a southern Michigan summer tradition.
- History and cultureBranch County's Amish communitiesThe Young Center's 2025 count lists three Amish settlements in Branch County: California/Montgomery, Quincy, and Kinderhook/Coldwater.
- Home and propertyBuying on (or near) a Branch County lake?Branch County lake homes can come with legal lake levels, lake special assessments, lake associations, and lake-specific boating rules.
- History and cultureColdwater's lake chain and Tibbits Opera HouseSouth of Coldwater, nine named lakes and navigable channels make up the Coldwater-Marble chain; downtown, the 1882 Tibbits Opera House still hosts performances.
- Home and propertyOutside town, you're probably on a well and septicMost Branch County township homes use private wells and septic systems, and the county does not require a sale-time inspection.
- Money and taxesBuying in a township? Watch for special assessments on top of your taxesMichigan township buyers should check for special assessments that can add separate road, sewer, water, lighting, sidewalk, or drain charges.
- Money and taxesIn Michigan, you get two property-tax bills a year — not oneMost Michigan property owners get separate summer and winter tax bills, with local rules deciding what lands on each bill.