Taking the Native American name of "chuck-sey-ya-bish" which means cold water, the town of Coldwater reflects a careful balance of past and present, featuring a preservation of some of the finest turn-of-the-century architecture anywhere in the county.

In 1822 Joseph Godfrey opened a trading post near what is now the downtown.  Seven years later, with a population of 140, Coldwater became a village.  Telegraph lines reached Coldwater in 1848 and the railroad followed a year later. As with many towns and cities whose buildings were primarily built of wood, Coldwater suffered a disastrous fire that same year which destroyed eight of the downtown buildings and resulted in an ordinance being passed that prohibited wood structures from being built in certain areas. That is one reason why the grand buildings in the downtown, built of brick, remain. 

Coldwater played a large part in the Civil War.  In 1861, a Light Artillery Battery from Coldwater, led by Commander Cyrus Loomis went to fight for the Union, going on to become one of the most renowned Regiments in the Civil War. (Some of their ten-pounder Parrott cannons can be seen downtown just across from the old Library).

Today, with its 112 lakes, many of which are interconnected (Branch County, where Coldwater is located, sells more fishing licenses than any other county in the state) and its dedication to historic preservation, Coldwater remains a vital stop on the Old Sauk Trail, now called U.S. 12.

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