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MARTIN COUNTY MN Settled in the mid 1800s, Martin County was officially organized in 1857. The first post office in Martin County was established in 1858 in Fairmont. Named after Henry Martin, a Connecticut landowner, Martin County grew as an agricultural community. As the railroad arrived, Martin County continued to grow. Soon banks, schools and a cheese factory were thriving and Fairmont was voted as its county seat. By 1880 there were over 200…
NICOLLET COUNTY Settled in the mid 1800s, Nicollet County was named after the French explorer, Joseph N. Nicollet. Attracted to the abundant farmland, forests and streams, settlers arrived to stake land claims after the signing of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. Townships were platted by 1855 and St. Peter was voted as the county seat in 1858. 15 school districts were organized throughout Nicollet County by 1859 and local businesses began to th…
KOOCHICHING COUNTY Koochiching County’s name was derived from the Ojibwe Indian word “Koochiching” meaning “at the place of inlets,” referring to the neighboring Rainy Lake and River. Many of the first settlers arrived to the area in the 1880s and were fur traders and loggers looking for places to set up camps. With the arrival of the railroad, businesses and industry thrived and allowed for transportation so new residents could enter the area. T…
GOODHUE COUNTY MN Goodhue County was named in honor of James Madison Goodhue, the first newspaper editor in Minnesota. The county was established in March of 1853 and included much of the area that is in Wabasha County today. The boundaries for the county were formed in 1855 to their current location. Goodhue County is located in the Driftless Area where much of the county features deep valleys where glaciation did not take place – unlike most of…
MARSHALL COUNTY MN Marshall County was established in 1879 as the fertile soil, ample timber and access to water attracted many settlers. It was named in honor of Minnesota Governor William Rainey Marshall and the city of Warren was selected as the county seat. Agriculture led early industry and railroad construction provided the means for growth. By 1920 the population of Marshall County had reached 19,443 and as steamboat travel began to slow, …
WINONA COUNTY MN Winona was named in honor of Princess Winona, the daughter of Chief Wapasha. “Winona” is derived from the Dakota Indian Word meaning “first-born Daughter.” The story is told that Princess Winona jumped to her death from Maidens Rock in Pepin, Wisconsin after she was forced to marry someone she didn’t love. Winona County was originally inhabited by native Sioux and Dakota Indians. Settlement began in the early 1800s and pioneers w…
WASECA COUNTY Waseca County was established in 1857 and its name was derived from a Dakota Indian word for “rich.” Fertile soil and ample timber attracted many pioneers and the city of Waseca was selected as the county seat. Railroad development allowed for growth and early industry was dominated by agriculture with many residents farming crops and raising livestock. By 1900 its population had reached 14,760 and the area has continued to thrive. …
WABASHA COUNTY MN Wabasha County is named in honor of the Sioux Indian Chief Wapasha. It was established on October 27, 1849. Settlers were attracted to the location on the Mississippi River and the fertile land for agriculture. Populations increased as steamboat traffic and railroads were erected that connected the area from Illinois to St. Paul, Minnesota. By 1900 Wabasha County had an approximate population of 18,924 residents. Wabasha County …
STEELE COUNTY MN Originally inhabited by Indians, settlement of Steele County began in the 1850s and land was surveyed and platted into townships in 1854. Steele County included land that was part of Waseca County until 1856. It is named after the Minneapolis settler, Franklin Steele, who was involved with the founding of Minneapolis and was a prominent figure with the construction of mills along St. Anthony Falls. Communities formed near rivers …
MOWER COUNTY Mower County was named after John Edward Mower, a lumber magnate and territorial legislator who settled in Stillwater, Minnesota. Before Austin was established as county seat in 1857, the county’s important documents were stored in a tin box, and county meeting places changed depending on where the box ended up. Austin is currently the largest city in the country, and produces most of America’s Spam meat. Mower County is home to abou…
