Cottonwood

Formed May 23, 1857 (44^th county)

Cottonwood County (11,687), Windom (4,646)                

The Classic Renaissance Revival courthouse was built of tan brick and stone in 1904 on a square at 3^rd Avenue, 9^th Street, 4^th Avenue, and 10^th Street.  United States Highway 71 passes one block east of the courthouse.  The was an 1872 courthouse earlier.  O’Meyer and Thori are the architects.  Lady Justice sits on top of the tower of this facility.  Cottonwood County was formed on May 23, 1857 from Brown County as the 44^th county with Windom as the only county seat.  The county is named for Cottonwood River.  The county set is named for Senator William Windom. 

Cottonwood County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer, an auditor, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Nineteen District Court Judges serve Cottonwood, Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, and Watonwan counties (judicial.) The county is situated in northeast Minnesota.  The county is in the southwest part of Minnesota.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is northeast of the county.  The county center is 19.1 miles Northwest of Windom nearer Storden.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Redwood, Brown, Watonwan, Martin, Jackson, Nobles, and Murray counties. 

The area of the county is 649 square miles.  It is 49 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 63 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 18.01 persons per square mile making it 58 out of 87 in the state.  Cottonwood County has 70.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 71 crosses the county north to south from Redwood County to Jackson County.  The county looks like the State of Utah.  Windom is located on the southern border of the county.  Windom is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 39.8% of the county population.

Comfrey