Original Passenger House
Coldwater’s original 1850’s train depot is the historical passenger house. On February 20, 1852 the Michigan Southern Railroad reached Chicago from Toledo via Adrian, Hillsdale, Coldwater and White Pigeon. This line, later called “The Old Road,” was for a few years part of the only rail line between the East Coast and Chicago. On November 19, 1956 the last regularly-scheduled passenger train on “The Old Road” went through Coldwater, Hillsdale and Adrian to Toledo.
In 1850, Branch County saw its first railroad. The Southern Road, which had reached Hillsdale by 1843, was sold to Edwin C. Litchfield’s company in 1846, stimulating further development.
On December 10, 1850, a freight train arrived in Coldwater at noon and took on a load of flour. About 4:15 that afternoon a large crowd witnessed the arrival of the first passenger train.
In 1882 the old Passenger House, no longer adequate was moved to Batavia. In 1997 Steve Peet purchased the building and moved it back to Coldwater and beautifully renovated it right down to the plank floors.
