Coldwater

Coldwater is located on part of a prairie that used to be three miles long and two miles wide. It was filled with oak trees and occasionally an elm, but had magnificent forests of beech, maple, walnut, whitewood, and elm bordering it. There were also many streams and over a hundred lakes, large and small.

The county seat of Branch County, Coldwater is located where the Coldwater River flows into the city from the south. The Coldwater River originates from Coldwater Lake, which is part of the Coldwater chain of lakes. The other end of the Coldwater chain of lakes is the outlet called the Sauk River. The Sauk River flows from the north end (near Quincy) and through the south side of the city of Coldwater. As a result, there is a series of shallow, connected lakes on the west side of the city.

Coldwater hosts several annual seasonal festivals, including the Ice Festival in January (with ice carvings, chili-tasting competition, and other family activities), the Strawberry Fest in June (with various strawberry-based foods and arts & crafts), and the Apple Fest in September (with home-baked apple goods and arts & crafts).