Branch County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Coldwater. One of the " cabinet counties", it was named for John Branch, U.S. Secretary of the Navy under President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

. 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 consisting of 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 (state), New York to the west and by the ...

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. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...

s", descended from the English

Puritans The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...

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 part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

. 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 navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

; 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 in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...

. 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 political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. ...

. They were mostly members of the

Congregationalist Church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...

though some were

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

. Culturally Branch County, like much of

, 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 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 – northwest * Calhoun County – 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 a ...

– east *

Steuben County, Indiana Steuben County is a County (United States), county in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census the county population was 34,435. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Angola, Indiana, Ango ...

– 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 ...

– 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 to intersection with M60, south of

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. * – runs through NW tip of county. Enters west line from Leonidas, Michigan, runs east , turns north to exit county toward Athens, Michigan. * runs east–west through central Branch County. Enters from Colon, Michigan, runs east to intersection with US12, west of Coldwater.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census indicates Branch County had a 2010 population of 45,248. This decrease of -539 people from the 2000 United States Census 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 (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

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 the 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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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 party's 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, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cr ...

, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, 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 de ...

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 services, 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 adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...

: 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, the , which is common ...

: John Pollack *

County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keepin ...

: Terry Kubasiak * County Treasurer: Steven Rutz * Register of Deeds: Nyci DeLoach * Drain Commissioner: Michael Hard * County Surveyor: Edward W. Reed * County Commissioners: Tim Stoll, Tom Matthew, Alan McClellan, Jon Houtz, Randall Hazelbaker Information correct as of March 2017.

Communities

Cities

* Bronson * Coldwater (county seat)

Villages

* Quincy * Sherwood * Union City (partial)

Civil 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

Unincorporated communities

* Batavia Center * Canada Shores * Crystal Beach * East Gilead * Girard * Hodunk * Lockwood * Pearl Beach * Ray * Sans Souci Beach * South Butler * West Kinderhook

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