Waseca

Formed February 27, 1857 (40^th county)

Waseca County (18,966), Waseca (9,230)

The classic tan brick and stone Richardsonian Romanesque Revival courthouse was constructed in 1897 on State Street at 3^rd Avenue.  Minnesota State Highway 13 is State Street through the city.  Orff and Joralemon are the architects.  The building was enlarged in 1971 and 1976.  The courthouse features a tower with a working clock and the grounds have veterans memorials and a canon.  The county was formed on February 27, 1857 from Steele County as the 40^th county.  Wilton was the first county seat until 1870 when Waseca assumed the position.  The county and county seat are Native American for “rich.” 

Waseca 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.)  Twenty-seven District Court Judges serve Waseca, Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, and Winona counties (judicial.) The county is in southern Minnesota.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is north of the county.  The county center is 15.2 miles Southwest of Waseca nearer Waldorf.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Rice, Steele, Freeborn, Faribault, Blue Earth, and Le Sueur counties. 

The area of the county is 423.3 square miles.  It is 81 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 50 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 44.8 persons per square mile making it 30 out of 87 in the state.  Waseca County has 69.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 14 passes east to west in the county from Steele County to Blue Earth County.  The county is a rectangle.  The City of Waseca is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Waseca is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 48.7% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced WA-SEE-KA.