Coldwater is a city in and county seat of Branch County in the U.S. state of

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, ...

. The city had a population of 13,822 at the 2020 census. The city is mostly surrounded by Coldwater Township, but the two are administered autonomously.

History

American settlers first moved into the area around 1830, with many arriving from New York and New England. Coldwater was incorporated as a village in 1837, and then incorporated by the legislature as a city in 1861. It was designated in 1842 as the county seat of Branch County.

Geography

The Coldwater River flows into the city from the south, originating from Coldwater Lake. The Coldwater chain of lakes also has an outlet called the Sauk River, which flows from its north end (near Quincy) and then through the south side of the city of Coldwater. Both combine to form a series of shallow, connected lakes on the city's west side. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

Coldwater has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

that is borderline between categories ''Dfa'' (hot summer) and ''Dfb'' (long, warm summer).

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

records show that average January temperatures are a maximum of and a minimum of . Average July temperatures are a maximum of and a minimum of . There are an average of 7.4 afternoons with highs of or higher and an average of 136.2 days with lows of or lower. The record high temperature of was on July 24, 1934, and the record low temperature was on January 31, 2019. Precipitation averages annually. There is measurable precipitation on an average of 145 days. The wettest year was 2018 with and the driest year was 1930 with . The most precipitation in one month was in August 2007. The most precipitation in 24 hours was on June 26, 1978. Snowfall averages annually. There is measurable snowfall on an average of 27.5 days. The snowiest season was from July 1977 to June 1978 when fell, including in January 1978. A blizzard that month included of snow on January 26, 1978.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 10,945 people, 4,255 households, and 2,628 families living in the city. 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 . There were 4,827 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 3.2% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population. There were 4,255 households, of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.2% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age in the city was 35.2 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 12,697 people, 4,058 households, and 2,520 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 4,370 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.35%

, 8.42%

, 0.75% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.52% from other races, and 3.01% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.52% of the population. There were 4,058 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,913, and the median income for a family was $41,107. Males had a median income of $31,577 versus $22,088 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 city was $15,833. About 6.0% of families and 9.6% 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 11.6% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

Several seasonal annual festivals are held in Coldwater. The Ice Festival held in January features ice carvings, a chili-tasting competition, and other family activities. The Strawberry fest held in June features many different foods made from strawberries and arts and crafts. The Apple Fest held in September features home-baked goods made from apples and various arts and crafts.

Tourism

The Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater was built in 1882; it is the second-oldest theater in Michigan. It was converted to a movie theater in the 1930s. In the 1960s a campaign began to restore its original use as a theater for live performances with the eventual goal of restoring its French Empire architecture. It is now a venue for a variety of cultural activities. The Wing House was built in 1875; it is now operated as a historical museum by the Branch County Historical Society. The Little River Railroad offers rides behind a 1911-built steam locomotive, departing from the city's historic 1883 depot.

Education

* Coldwater Community Schools, public school district for Coldwater * Pansophia Academy, charter school, grades K–12 * St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, grades K–5 * Legg Middle School, grades 6–8. Part of Coldwater Community Schools. * Coldwater High School, grades 9–12. Part of Coldwater Community Schools. Aside from the usual public and parochial schools, Coldwater has a branch of Kellogg Community College and Baker College.

Media

The newspaper published in Coldwater is '' The Daily Reporter''. Coldwater has radio stations WTVB and WNWN, whose studios are located south of town on Business Loop 69 that are part of the

Kalamazoo Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

radio area. There are no television stations broadcasting from within the county; Coldwater gets its television signals from the Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids-Battle Creek and Lansing-Jackson SMSAs in Michigan.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Air

Memorial Airport serves general aviation only.

Major highways

*. Coldwater is accessible from exits 10 (BL I-69, Fenn Road), 13 (US 12/BL I-69), and 16 (Jonesville Road). The city has expanded since 1967 when I-69 was completed in the area to incorporate the

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted ...

at exit 13. * runs through downtown Coldwater. * continues west to Sturgis and east toward the Hillsdale area. * runs west to Three Rivers.

Mass transit

Coldwater public bus transportation is provided by Branch Area Transit Authority (BATA).

Rail

Coldwater has an east–west railroad, but this is essentially a relic of one that led to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Notable people

* Scott Brayton, Indycar driver, was killed in practice at the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...

in 1996 * Enoch Chase,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

State Senator * George Coe, 11th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan * Hawley Harvey Crippen, convicted of murdering his wife and executed * Jim Curtiss, professional baseball player * Robert Dowdell, actor * Edward Ellis, actor * Samuel Etheridge, one of

's first state senators, representing the Seventh Senatorial District from 1838 to 1840 * Jad Fair and David Fair, musicians; founders of the band Half Japanese * Maude Farris-Luse (1887–2002),

supercentenarian A supercentenarian, sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian, is a person who is 110 or older. This age is achieved by about one in 1,000 centenarians. Supercentenarians typically live a life free of significant age-related diseases until short ...

* Alice Haylett, AAGPBL All-Star pitcher * Bertha Lincoln Heustis, writer, born in Coldwater * Jeff Kellogg, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

umpire * Becky Levi,

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

* Cyrus G. Luce, Michigan governor * Ruth McDevitt, actress * Alfred Milnes, mayor of Coldwater and 28th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan * Clara D. Pierson, children's book author * Harriet Quimby, aviation pioneer, the first US woman to receive a pilot's license *

Dan Severn Daniel DeWayne Severn (born June 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Beast", is an American retired professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. A UFC Hall of Fame member, Severn is considered one of the leading pioneers of ...

, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler * Jeff Stanton, motorcycle racer * Robert Teeter, Republican pollster and campaign strategist * Bill Welke, current

umpire * Tim Welke, former

umpire

Sister cities

* Soltau,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

References

External links

City of Coldwater official website

Coldwater Country Conference & Visitors Bureau

Coldwater Downtown Development Authority

Branch Area Career Center

Coldwater Community Schools
{{authority control Cities in Branch County, Michigan County seats in Michigan Micropolitan areas of Michigan Populated places established in 1830 1830 establishments in Michigan Territory