Rain showers didn’t dampen spirits as the town of Coldwater celebrated its 150th anniversary Saturday, Oct. 15.
Local musicians and bands kept people dancing around the town square, and vendors were on hand to supply a variety of favorite Southern foods to commemorate the sesquicentennial.
Tate County’s own Mark “Muleman” Massey rocked the crowd with his unique style of blues. Other bands that performed include Coldwater-based Unpredictable as well as Dre and the Mississippi Boys.
The history of Coldwater is as unique as the town itself.
The original town of Coldwater formed from a community called Elm Grove in 1856 after construction of the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad in 1858 stimulated development in the area. Rows of stores and other businesses developed on both sides of the railroad tracks, along with houses of worship.
Coldwater was officially incorporated 150 years ago in 1872. At that time, the town was one square mile and located in DeSoto County with a railroad depot in the center. The area was developed for cotton plantations and Coldwater was considered mainly a trading center.
Coldwater became part of Tate County during the Reconstruction era in 1873 when the county was formed from portions of DeSoto, Marshall, and Tunica Counties by the Mississippi legislature. The town’s population quickly grew due to an influx of settlers from Virginia, the Carolinas, Alabama and other areas seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
Residents of Coldwater, which was named after the nearby river just two miles north, faced a major dilemma the early 1900s.
Faced with the fear of periodic flooding from the mighty Mississippi River and its tributaries during heavy spring rains, the United States Army Corps of Engineers developed the Arkabutla Lake and Dam project. The land occupied by Arkabutla Lake was once a valley to help control flooding in towns and communities such as Coldwater.
The Arkabutla Lake and Dam project included barricading the Coldwater River for several miles from the “old town” of Coldwater to Arkabutla Reservoir. Workers discovered a huge lake would form as a result of the constructed dam and flood the area. That meant the people of Coldwater would be forced to pick up their personal belongings and move about a mile and a half south in order to build a “new town”.
Some residents wanted to disregard advice from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and continue living at the original settlement, near where Highway 306 meets Interstate 55 today. Some residents suggested using boats instead of automobiles when the water got too high.
The idea of staying put was quickly nixed by the Corps of Engineers after officials suggested it was an unsafe way to live. Several Coldwater citizens considered building a levee around the town. Many residents thought a dike would solve flooding problems and save their town. Once again, government officials quickly stepped in and deemed that idea unsafe.
In 1942, the U.S. Government helped form the “new town” of Coldwater and relocated it to its current location. The cost to move Coldwater and its estimated 700 residents was $250,000.
Coincidentally, where Coldwater currently sits was selected in 1856 as the original site for the town but landowners at that time would not consider selling their valuable farmland.
A monument dedicated to the “old town” of Coldwater remains on Highway 306 between Interstate 55 and U.S. Highway 51. There are also a few remnants of the previous settlement, but a majority of the site remains underwater year-round.
