Branch County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. As of the
2020 Census, the population was 44,862.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Coldwater. As one of the "
cabinet counties" it was named for the
U.S. Secretary of the Navy 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 territorial governor of Florida.
Bio ...
under President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
.
The county was founded in 1829, and was organized in 1833.
Branch County comprises the Coldwater, MI
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Branch County was a
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
settlement. The original founders of
Coldwater were settlers from the northern coastal colonies – "
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...
s", descended from the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
Puritans
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...
who came from the Old World in the 1600s and who brought their culture. During the early 1800s, there was a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the untamed
Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...
. Many traveled through New York State via the
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
; the threat of Native Americans had been reduced by the end of the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", crosse ...
.
These early settlers laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings, and established post routes. They brought a passion for education, and established many schools. Many were supporters of
abolitionism
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The Britis ...
. They were mostly members of the
Congregationalist Church
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
though some were
Episcopalian
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...
. Culturally Branch County, like much of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, developed as part of the Northern Tier, continuous with New England culture, during its early history. The county still depends on agriculture as the basis of its economy.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.6%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Michigan by total area. The only island in the county is
Iyopawa Island.
Adjacent counties
*
Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. , the population was 261,670. The county seat is Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo County is included in the Kalamazoo– Portage, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Kalamazoo Count ...
– northwest
*
Calhoun County Calhoun County is the name of several counties in the United States of America named after U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun:
* Calhoun County, Alabama
* Calhoun County, Arkansas
* Calhoun County, Florida
* Calhoun County, Georgia
* Calhoun Cou ...
– north
*
Hillsdale County
Hillsdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 45,746. The county seat is Hillsdale.
Hillsdale County is the only county in Michigan to border both Indiana and Ohio. Due to an ...
– east
*
Steuben County, Indiana
Steuben County is a county in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census the county population was 34,185. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Angola. Steuben County comprises the Angola, ...
– south
*
LaGrange County, Indiana
LaGrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 40,446. The county seat is LaGrange, Indiana.
The county is located in the Northern Indiana region known as Michiana and is about east of South B ...
– southwest
*
St. Joseph County – west
Major highways
* – runs north–south through central Branch County. Runs east of Girard, Coldwater and Kinderhook.
* – runs through Coldwater.
* – runs ENE through central Branch County. Passes Bronson, Coldwater and Quincy.
* – runs through northern part of county. Enters near Union City; runs west 5 miles (8 km) to intersection with M60, south of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
.
* – runs through NW tip of county. Enters west line from
Leonidas, Michigan, runs east 2.4 miles ( 4 km), turns north to exit county toward
Athens, Michigan.
* runs east–west through central Branch County. Enters from
Colon, Michigan
Colon is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,173 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Colon Township.
History
Colon was platted in 1844. It was incorporated as a village in 1904.
Ge ...
, runs east to intersection with US12, three miles (5 km) west of Coldwater.
Demographics
The
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
indicates Branch County had a 2010 population of 45,248. This decrease of -539 people from the
2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
represents a -1.2% growth decrease during the decade. In 2010 there were 16,419 households and 11,350 families in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 89.4 per square mile (34.5 square kilometers). There were 20,841 housing units at an average density of 41.2 per square mile (15.9 square kilometers). The
racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 90.9% White, 3.0% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.
There were 16,419 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were
husband and wife families, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.9% were non-families, and 25.8% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.9 males.
The
2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate[ indicates the median income for a household in the county was $41,855 and the median income for a family was $48,959. Males had a median income of $25,595 versus $17,263 for females. The ]per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $18,289. About 2.5% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 25.3% of those under the age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Branch County has been reliably Republican since the parties' founding. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried 85% of the elections (29 of 34).
The county government operates the jail
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...
, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records
Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses (or marriage certificates), separation agreements, divorce certificates or divorce party and death certificates. In some ...
, administers public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
Elected officials
* Prosecuting Attorney
A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...
: Zachary Stempien
* Sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
: John Pollack
* County Clerk
A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...
: Terry Kubasiak
* County Treasurer: Ann Vrablic
* Register of Deeds
Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...
: Nancy Hutchins
* Drain Commissioner A drain commissioner is an elected official in county government of the U.S. state of Michigan who is responsible for planning, developing and maintaining surface water drainage systems under Public Act 40 of 1956. In counties with a population unde ...
: Michael Hard
* County Surveyor
A county surveyor is a public official in the United Kingdom and the United States.
United Kingdom
Webb & Webb describe the increasing chaos that began to prevail within this same period in field of county surveying in England and Wales, with c ...
: Edward W. Reed[
* ]County Commissioners
A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...
: Terri Norris, Leonard Kolcz, Donald Vrablic, Ted Gordon, Randall Hazelbaker
Information correct as of March 2017.
Communities
Cities
* Bronson
* Coldwater (county seat)
Villages
* Quincy
* Sherwood
Sherwood may refer to:
Places Australia
*Sherwood, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
*Sherwood, South Australia, a locality
*Shire of Sherwood, a former local government area of Queensland
*Electoral district of Sherwood, an electoral district from ...
* Union City
Unincorporated communities
* Batavia Center
* Canada Shores
* Crystal Beach
* East Gilead
* Hodunk
* Lockwood
* Pearl Beach
* Ray
* Sans Souci Beach
* South Butler
* West Kinderhook
Townships
* Algansee Township
* Batavia Township
* Bethel Township
* Bronson Township
* Butler Township
* California Township
* Coldwater Township
* Gilead Township
* Girard Township
* Kinderhook Township
* Matteson Township
* Noble Township
* Ovid Township
* Quincy Township
* Sherwood Township
* Union Township
See also
*
* Mickesawbe
*
* USS ''Branch County'' (LST-482)
References
External links
Branch County government
Branch County Tourism Bureau
Branch County Chamber of Commerce
Office of the County Clerk
*
{{Coord, 41.92, -85.05, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MI_source:UScensus1990
Michigan counties
1833 establishments in Michigan Territory
Populated places established in 1833