Watonwan County, Minnesota
Founding: 1861 (declared in 1860) Parent county: Brown Namesake: The Watonwan River Seat: Madelia (1860–1878); St. James (1878–) Land area: 435 square miles Population (2020): 11,253 Population (historic): 2,426 (1870); 7,746 (1890); 11,332 (1910); 12,802 (1930) Periods of population growth: pre-1870–1900; 1910s Subdivisions: Eight cities; 12 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 1,878 (37.1%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 55.4% Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 4% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 2.7% Average farmhouse value (1930): $2,236 Average outbuilding value (1930): $2,513 Average farmhouse size (1940): 6.6 rooms Number of farms (1920): 1,402 Average farm size (1920): 161.2 acres Sources of settlement: Norway, Sweden, Germany, Illinois, and Russia _________________________________________________________________________________ St. James Name...