Watonwan

Formed February 20, 1860 (61^st county)

Watonwan County (11,251), Saint James (4,794)

The tan brick and stone Richardsonian Romanesque Revival courthouse was erected in 1895 on 2^nd Avenue at 7^th Street.  Minnesota State Highway 30 is 7^th Street in the town.  H. C. Gerlach provided the designs.  The facility was remodeled in 1950 and enlarged in 1972 and 1981.  The courthouse features a tower.  An Annex was added recently.  Watonwan County was created on February 20, 1860 from Brown County as the 61^st county.  Madelia was the first county seat until 1878 when St. James became the seat.  The county is named for the river which is Native American for “where fish bait abounds.”  The county seat was named by the Railroad President as a name he could remember. 

Watonwan 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 Watonwan, Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, and Rock counties (judicial.) Watonwan County is in the southwest part of the state.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is northeast and Sioux Falls, South Dakota is west of the county.  The county center is in Saint James .9 miles East-Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Brown, Blue Earth, Martin, Jackson, and Cottonwood counties. 

The area of the county is 434.5 square miles.  It is 77 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 65 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 25.9 persons per square mile making it 47 out of 87 in the state.  Watonwan County has 74.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is a rectangle.  Saint James is located near the center of the county.  Saint James is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 42.6% of the county population.  The county is pronounced WA-TON-WAN.