Branch County - the name has nothing to do with trees, it was named after John Branch, Secretary of the Navy under President Andrew Jackson. John Branch's county is located on the Michigan-Indiana border in western Lower Michigan . In 1828 the first settler in the area was Jabez B. Bronson, who named the area after himself -- Bronson's Prairie. When a railroad station was built in 1871 the area's name was shortened to Bronson. Branch County holds the distinction of being the location where iron was first made from Michigan iron ore. That was in 1847 by the Union City Iron Company. Union City is a small, historic town that has a turn-of-the-century look with well-preserved buildings and Victorian style homes. The name Union City doesn't have anything to do with labor unions, they weren't invented yet. Union City is located at the point where the Coldwater and St. Joseph Rivers join - at the "union" of the two rivers. I'm sure you can guess the name of the town that's located on the banks of the Coldwater River - you guessed it, it's Coldwater, which is the county seat of Branch County . Southern Michigan is farm country, and Branch County farms are famous for something you probably aren't aware of. It's a flower called the Gladioli. Several large farms in Branch County specialize in growing Gladioli, and this area is known as "The Gladiolus Capital of the United States ".   Today, Branch County remains a relatively rural, agricultural area. It has many lakes and streams and a pretty healthy deer population.