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Watonwan County, Minnesota facts for kids

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Watonwan County
Watonwan County Courthouse
Map of Minnesota highlighting Watonwan County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Minnesota
Founded February 25, 1860
Named for Watonwan River
Seat St. James
Largest city St. James
Area
 • Total 440 sq mi (1,100 km2)
 • Land 435 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Water 4.8 sq mi (12 km2)  1.1%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 11,253
 • Estimate 
(2023)
11,077 Decrease
 • Density 25.9/sq mi (10.0/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st

Watonwan County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,253. Its county seat is St. James.

History

In 1849, the recently organized Minnesota Territory legislature authorized the creation of nine large counties across the territory. In 1853, one of those original counties, Dakota, had a large area partitioned off to create Blue Earth County. In 1855 the western part of Blue Earth was partitioned to create Brown County. On February 25, 1860, the southern part of Brown was partitioned to create this county, with Madelia as the designated county seat. The county was named for its eponymous river, whose name reflects the Dakota word "watanwan," meaning "fish bait" or "plenty of fish." The word first appears in the written record on an 1843 map of the area so naming the river.

In 1869 the first settlers arrived in the area of the future Saint James, and the area began growing. In 1870 an extension of the St. Paul and Sioux City Railway was terminated at the village, and railway officials decided to name the terminus Saint James. By 1878 the town had grown to the extent that a vote was taken to move the county seat there.

Geography

The terrain of Watonwan County consists of low rolling hills, carved by drainages and dotted with lakes and ponds. The area is completely devoted to agriculture where possible. The terrain slopes to the north and east, with its highest point near its southwest corner, at 1,293 ft (394 m) ASL. The county has an area of 440 square miles (1,100 km2), of which 435 square miles (1,130 km2) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km2) (1.1%) is water. The county is drained by the Watonwan River and its tributaries; the river flows eastward through the northern part of the county.

Major highways

  • MN-4.svg Minnesota State Highway 4
  • MN-15.svg Minnesota State Highway 15
  • MN-30.svg Minnesota State Highway 30
  • MN-60.svg Minnesota State Highway 60

Airports

  • St. James Municipal Airport (JYG, LID) - 3 miles (4.8 km) east of St. James

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

  • Bergdahl State Wildlife Management Area
  • Lewisville State Wildlife Management Area
  • Turtle Marsh State Wildlife Management Area
  • Wilson State Wildlife Management Area
  • Woodlake State Wildlife Management Area

Lakes

  • Bergdahl Lake
  • Bullhead Lake
  • Butterfield Lake
  • Case Lake
  • Cottonwood Lake
  • Ewy Lake
  • Fedji Lake
  • Irish Lake
  • Long Lake
  • Mary Lake
  • Mud Lake
  • Kansas Lake
  • Saint James Lake
  • School Lake
  • Sulem Lake
  • Wilson Lake ("School Lake" in some records)
  • Wood Lake (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 2,426
1880 5,104 110.4%
1890 7,746 51.8%
1900 11,496 48.4%
1910 11,332 −1.4%
1920 12,457 9.9%
1930 12,802 2.8%
1940 13,902 8.6%
1950 13,881 −0.2%
1960 14,460 4.2%
1970 13,298 −8.0%
1980 12,361 −7.0%
1990 11,682 −5.5%
2000 11,876 1.7%
2010 11,211 −5.6%
2020 11,253 0.4%
2023 (est.) 11,077 −1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 Census

Watonwan County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 7,689 68.33%
Black or African American (NH) 42 0.37%
Native American (NH) 13 0.12%
Asian (NH) 86 0.76%
Pacific Islander (NH) 0 0%
Other/Mixed (NH) 196 1.74%
Hispanic or Latino 3,227 28.7%

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Adrian Township
  • Antrim Township
  • Butterfield Township
  • Fieldon Township
  • Long Lake Township
  • Madelia Township
  • Nelson Township
  • Odin Township
  • Riverdale Township
  • Rosendale Township
  • St. James Township
  • South Branch Township

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Watonwan para niños

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