The following information was printed in "An Illustrated City Directory of Coldwater, Mich. --1894 - Compiled and Published by Nath'l L. Holmes. The surnames have been printed in caps so that they will stand out.
THE CITY OF COLDWATER To give anything like a complete historical article of the development of Coldwater would require space many times the size of a volume such as this and to undertake it would be practically impossible in this work whose principal feature is merely one of a directive nature rather than a writeup historical.
The city in size comprises about five square miles, its location being upon what was once a burr oak prairie, on the northeast bank of the Coldwater river, the elevation being about fifty feet above the St. Joseph River; the water supply lies in a bed of gravel from 20 to 60 feet deep and furnishes an inexhaustable supply of the very best of water. Coldwater long years ago took its name from the Pottawatomy compound Indian word Chuck-sey-ya-bish, meaning cold water.
In 1822 a trading post was established two and one half miles east of the public square by JOSEPH GODFREY; at that time, two miles east and 80 rods north was an Indian village of 33 wigwams. The chief named MIX AUBEE died about 1829 and was buried on the hillside about 40 rods from the residence of A.C. FISK; MIX AUBEE was a tall muscular man as proud and conceited as the average "big injun"of that time could possibly have been. He was a noted warrior and engaged at the battles of Fort Meigs and River Raisin. BLACK HAWK, the famous chief when he passed through here on his way to Canada complimented him highly on his bravery in war. Chief MIX AUBEE passed to the happy hunting grounds as before stated in 1829 at the rather advanced age of 100 years.
The United States survery of the city shows that the center of the corporation, corner stake, was established in 1829. The first house built within the present corporation limits was erected by HUGH CAMPBELL on the northeast corner of the land where the Lewis Art Gallery now stands, and was subsequently occupied by the pioneer preacher ALLEN TIBBITS; the second house was built by JOSEPH HANCHETT where the (Courier office at present stands) in July 1831, the family with his son EDWIN remaining at Coo Coosh, now Girard, until the house was finished. At this time the Indian trail from Chicago to Detroit was on the north side of the present Chicago road from the river 10 rods below the Cemetery Bridge to the Indian village presided over by MIX AUBEE, previously alluded to.
In the fall of 1832 the village of Lyons, named Lyons by an emigrant from Lyons, N.Y., now the city of Coldwater, was platted by JOSEPH HANCHETT who owned 80 acres where the business portion of the city is located. MR. HANCHETT gave to his son EDWIN, the lot where the Southern Michigan Hotel now is, for the purpose of erecting a tavern. That autumn, BENJ. SMITH came from Pennfield, N.Y. and built an inn for JOHN MORSE on the site now occupied by the MOSES SMITH residence. Recently the building was purchased by WM. A. COOMBS and is now used as an addition to the "A" flouring mill; these were the two first hotels erected in Coldwater. The County of Branch having been organized but by the townships of Green, then extending over the third of western lower Michigan, the county seat was esgablished by the commissioners and called Masonville, in honor of GOV. MASON; it was situated on the eastern bank of Coldwater River, opposite Oak Grove. The late HARVEY WARNER and CAL. BOLTON in 1831 built a hotel there on the north side of the Chicago road; it was afterward known as the JAMES STUART house; the village at this time sprung up as if by magic. A bridge was built by SEYMOUR BINGHAM, in the fall of 185. Coldwater at that time was, very thinly settled; the principal men located in the village were W.H. and ROBT. J. CROSS, and PETER MARTIN, living in the old CRIPPEN house which stood between the present Court House and Public Library. In the summer of 1831 ALLEN TIBBITS settled in this village and purchased the 80 acres entered by HUGH CAMPBELL.
Masonville had then increased in population far outnumbering in inhabitants the village of Lyons (now Coldwater). The mill pond, just south of the Lake Shore depot, had been made by MR. MARTIN and a mill put in operation furnishing the first lumber for the people of the village. Then commenced an unexpected rivalry between Coldwater and Branch, where the County seat was afterwards located.
A large delegation of settlers moved from Monroe County, N.Y. to Coldwater in 1835; they formed a company and purchased the property afterwards known as the Crippen Mill and shortly after secured the removal of the county seat from Branch to Coldwater in 1837.
Business men had located and were known as the Hook and Line Company, SLOAN COLE, RAMSDIL & Co. Our early merchants were: HOLBROOK, HIBBARD & CROSS; MR. WELLING & O.B. CLARK; MCCARTY PORTER & WENDALL; H.C. LEWIS and GEO. KELLOGG; DAVID WILLIAMS; ASA PARRISH; ROLAND ROOT; and JOHN T. HAYNES. The manufactories at that time consisted of MARTIN & CRIPPEN'S Saw Mills; PARRISH'S foundry located 80 rods east of the public square, BRINK & LEECH'S blacksmith shops, one located east of the public square and one on Chicago street opposite Morse Street; a chair factory conducted by honest JOHN WILSON located on the site of "Tell the Truth," clothing house, three tailor shops, conducted by L.D. HALSTED, JOHN D. WOOD, and WM. HARPHAM. ALBERT CHANDLER was tinner and S.P. NOYES made boots and shoes; thus are enumerated the manufacturing industries of Coldwater previous to 1848.
The first newspaper office in the county was at Branch in 1835; the name of the paper then published was the Star, edited by a man named CHAMPION. Next on the list is the Coldwater Sentinel edited and published by HON. ALBERT CHANDLER in the early forties. When the Free Soil period arrived, the True Sentinel was published by JUDGE TURNER now of Jackson being succeeded by C.P. BENTON. F.V. SMITH also edited the Sentinel.
The THOMPSON BROS. about this time published a Republican sheet known as the Branch County Journal. At the beginning of the war, HOCKSTAFF edited a paper that was converted into the Reporter under the management of C.J. THROPE & Co. Other papers established are the Semi Weekly Republican by A.J. ALDRICH; it is now owned by G.W. PERRY & Co. The Sun by the Greenback party, now the democratic organ of Branch County, and edited and managed by BATES. The Courier established by MOORE & NICHOLS and at present owned by OWEN and TURNER. The Star recently set up as the Prohibitionist representative is managed by W.C. BAILEY. A group of portraits of the present editors are herewith given [not in this material].
The different religious denominations represented are: The Methodist Episcopal, Baptists, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, German Lutheran, Wesleyan Methodist and Christian Church. Portraits of pastors and brief sketches of the several denominations are given elsewhere [not in this material].
Physicians who have practiced here are DR. ENOCH CHASE who settled in 1834 remaining but one year. DR. HANCHETT settled in Coldwater in 1832; he was in reality the first practitioner. DR. ALDEN came in 1834. DR. DARWIN LITTLEFIELD arrived here in 1835. DR. HENRY STILLMAN in the early forties. DR. I.P. ALGER commenced the study of medicine in 1844 in DR. HANCHETT'S office and afterwards practiced for many years in this city. DR. W.B. SPRAGUE, DR. WM. CLARK, DR. STOCKING, DR. S.S. CUTTER, DR. C.B. TUCKER, DR. J.H. BEACH, DR. RUFUS KIBBE, DR. D.C. POWERS, DR. JOHN H. BENNETT and DR. GEO. W. WHITFORD are names of other prominent physicians that have practiced here. At present there are fifteen representatives of the medical profession.
The legal profession of this city was first represented by ESBORN G. FULLER who came to this city from Orleans Co., N.Y. in 1836 and settled where the CONANT residence now is. He was the first prosecuting attorney of Branch county and later was probate judge. In the spring of '37, LAWYER ESTUS commonly known as the "State of Maine" settled here. In 1844 HENRY C. GILBERT settled here, soon followed by his father and brothers, DANIEL and J.W. GILBERT.
GEO. A. COE came from Rochester, N.Y. in the early 1840's; he was elected to several public offices, being elected lieut. Governor in 1854-56.
LOUIS T.N. WILSON, JUDGE CHAS. UPSON, GEN. J.G. PARKHURST, HON. J.W. TURNER, JUDGE DAVID THOMPSON, JUDGE THOMAS M. COOLEY (now of Ann Arbor), JUSTIN LAWYER and FRANK D. SKEELS have been other notable lights in the legal profession of Coldwater. Many of them are now dead or have abandoned the practice of law. Likenesses of the members of the Branch County Bar Association are produced elsewhere [not in this material].
The banking history in this city would fill a large volume all by itself, but owing to the limited scope of this work, mere mention can be made of all of them. The first bank organized was the old Coldwater Bank in 1837 with $100,000.00 capital; officers, L.D. CRIPPEN, pres; GEORGE NICHOLS, cashier and MR. MANDEL teller; this bank was located where SLOMAN'S clothing store now stands. It closed its doors in 1838.
The "Exchange Bank" of CRIPPEN & FISK followed the old Coldwater Bank. This bank suspended payment in the fall of '57 and was succeeded by FISK & LEWIS; they by LEWIS, BIDWELL & MILES; they by LEWIS & KELLOGG; they by LEWIS & STARR; they by CLARKE & STARR; they by DENNIS & STARR; and they by the Coldwater National Bank, organized in May 1865. The Southern Michigan National Bank was organized in November 1871. The Branch County Savings Bank organized in 1891 completes the list.
Up to 1850, Coldwater never had an organized fire department, buckets being the only articles available in case of fire. In 1841, fire destroyed all the buildings extending from E.R. CLARKE & Co's store to the public square. Attention was called to the great necessity of having some apparatus provided to protect the town in the future. Accordingly a company was formed and known as the Excelsior Fire Company. In 1856 a hook and ladder company was organized. In 1864 a second company known as the Undine was organized. In 1872 a total change was made in the fire department. A Silsby engine was purchased and christened "The City of Coldwater," the old Excelsior company becoming known as the "Coldwater Steam Fire Engine Co." Another engine was purchased soon after known as the "Mayor Tibbits." These pieces of mechanism are no longer in use since the very efficient water works system was put in in 1890-91.
The water works and electric light departments are now under one board of commissioners consisting of three members; the works are under the supervision of a superintendent. The city was lighted by gas supplied by the Coldwater Gas Light Company beginning in 1860 and lasting until 1888 when the same company put in an arc electric lighting plant. The city purchased this plant in 1890 and removed it to the present station on Clark street. The electric light and water works plant was put in by the city in the winter of 1890-91 at a cost of $110,000. The lighting plant consists of a low tension arc circuit (street) of 74 lamps, 1,000 candle power, and a low tension arc circuit (stores) of 41 lamps, 1,500 candle power; the incandescent system has over 3,000 lights of two circuits. At the power house, 3 arc dynamos and 2 alternating (incandescent) dynamos furnish the power for the city's lighting. The water works consist of two Hughes Duplex pumps of a capacity of 1,500,000 gallons every 24 hours; two tandem compound engines with a low pressure cylinder 18 inches in diameter and a high pressure cylinder 12 inches in diameter and 18 inches in length, force the water throughout the city mains and branches amounting in all to a trifle over 14 1/3 miles in length, the pressure per square inch being 60 pounds and in fire instances 90 to 100 pounds. Hydrants for fire protection number 103; other tappings made so far on the mains for family use number 515. The supply of water is afforded by 8 wells 48 feet deep; the center of force for engines and dynamos is in a battery of three tubular boilers five feet in diameter, sixteen in length; each boiler containing fifty flues. No city in the state is better lighted or has better fire protection than this. The receipts from both water and lighting plants for the year ending April 1, 1894 were $1,800 in excess of all expenses, which includes a large amount of constructing and interest on the bonds outstanding.
To make brief mention of Coldwater's present industries, the important ones in order are here recorded: The manufacture of cigars is beyond doubt the principal one of the city; employment is furnished to 175 hands. About 4,700,000 cigars were made in 1893. The different firms are: The American Cigar Company organized in 1873; O'SHAUGHNESSY & Co. established in 1891; F.T. EDDY established in 1889; J.D. PAYNE established in 1889; GATCH & Co. established in 1883; besides eight other smaller shops.
The PRATT Manufacturing Company established in 1882, makers of childrens' sleds and cutters in the rough, employ from 50 to 60 hands.
CALKINS & Co. manufacturers of flour and pork barrels, established in this place in 1873. Sixty hands are required to run this establishment.
JOHNSON'S Cooperage Works, also manufacturers all kinds of barrels and employs 30 to 40 men; medium grade furniture is turned out by this firm.
HARLOW'S furniture factory founded about 1873 is another establishment employing 30 men; medium grade furniture is turned out by this firm.
The Coldwater Oil Stove Factory manufacturers all kinds of oil, cooking and heating stoves. This manufactory was recently started but is rapidly pushing forward; employment is furnished to 40 men.
BALL BROS. plaining mill. Here twenty hands are engaged during the year. Exterior house furnishings are manufactured and planing and matching lumber done.
The C.D. WARNER Medicine Company established here in 1887 employs ten laboratory men and five traveling salesman. This company makes Warner's White Wine of Tar Syrup and German Hop Bitters.
S.B. KITCHEL'S Liniment Laboratory is another patent medicine concern where employment is given to a dozen hands. Kitchel's Liniment is manufactured and has an extensive sale in the United States and Canada.
COOMBS Flouring Mills, known respectively as the "A," "B" and "C" mills together with the elevator recently constructed, form one of the best pieces of milling property in the state. Employment is given to forty hands; the three mills have a daily capacity of 800 barrels of flour.
Another branch of industry for which Coldwater and Branch County are nationally reputable is the breeding development and sale of fine horses. Scores of famous horses have either been bred in this county or owned here at one time. The pioneer horseman of the county. A.C. FISK, started out in 1851 by importing Green Mountain Black Hawk. Others purchased away and owned here by MR. FISK at his Maple Park farm are: Vermont Hero, Belmont, Mambrino Chief, Lexington Chief, Mambrino Patchen Jr., Hambletonian Star, Masterlode, Hambletonian Wilkes, Kentucky Belmont, Dictator Almont, Latitude 2:16 ½, Judean, Greenheart pacer 2:15, Highlawn Prince, Corbeau Medium and Wilton Wilkes. This makes up a string of as noted horses as ever were owned in the state. Another horse ownded here worthy of mention was Magna Charta owned by H.C. LEWIS and S.M. SEELEY; he was afterward owned by L. DEAN of Girard.
At present Coldwater has four stallions with records better than 2:20. They are Cartridge 2:14 ½ owned by JAS. WALKER prop'r Locust Grove Stables; Kitchel's Red Wilkes 2:19 ¼ owned by S.B. Kitchel; Latitude 2:16 ½ and Greatheart 2:15 (pacer) owned by A.C. FISK at Maple Park. Another promising stallion is McLane by Pilot Medium with a yearling record, the fasted in the state, of 2:40. He is owned by SCOTT MCLANE. There are several other horses and horsemen in Coldwater worthy of mention but limited space will not allow of enumerating them.
Other features of the city are the State Public Schools a sketch of which is elsewhere given [not in this material]; The LEWIS Art Gallery; The EDWIN R. CLARKE Free Public library.
As a municipality the city is a model one both in its advantages derived from nature and its good features bestowed upon it by those who have lived here and those who are at present its citizens. The pleasant drives and parks shaded perfectly by magnanimous maples, the many miles of well kept walks, the brilliantly lighted streets, the neat and substantial residences, the urban appearing business places all in part go to make up this city so fortunately inhabited with well educated, intelligent and thoughful people whose actions both publicly and privately are devotedly American; though not numerically as great as other cities in this Michigan commonwealth, yet the aggregate intelligence, education and character could these be aggregated, would stand well up in the column of cities of the state. Though not a typical manufacturing town, it is anything but an ideal wayback hoosier corporation. It is blessed with any number of societies and associations with a scientific, literary, musical or other scope, which tend to give the place an effete atmosphere which is not to be found in every place of 6,000 inhabitants. Thus in grandeur and glory do we find Coldwater in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four.