Branch was the first seat of

Branch County, Michigan Branch County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 44,862. The county seat is Coldwater. One of the " cabinet counties", it was named for John Branch, U.S. Secretary of the Navy under Presiden ...

, so designated in 1831. The settlement and county derive their name from

John Branch John Branch Jr. (November 4, 1782January 4, 1863) was an American politician who served as U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, the 19th Governor of the state of North Carolina, and was the sixth and last governor of the Florida Territory. B ...

, then Secretary of the US Navy.>

History

The village of Mason was initially selected to be the first seat of Branch County at inauguration, however due to a procedural error the decision was declared void and the as-then unbuilt village of Branch was selected as the first seat. A post office operated from 1835 to 1864. The seat was moved to Coldwater in 1842 and the village gradually died out.

References

Populated places established in 1831 Former populated places in Michigan Former populated places in Branch County, Michigan {{US-ghost-town-stub