Owatonna ( ) is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,420 at the 2020 census. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August.

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

and U.S. Highways 14 and

218 Year 218 ( CCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Adventus (or, less frequently, year 971 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 218 for th ...

are three of the main routes in the city.

History

Whites settled in the Owatonna area in 1853 around the Straight River. Most of the white settlers were Yankees from New England and Upstate New York The community was named after the Straight River,Upham, Warren (reprint, 2001)
Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia
/ref> which in the

Dakota language The Dakota language ( or ), also referred to as Dakhóta, is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, commonly known in English as the Sioux. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lak ...

is ''Wakpá Owóthaŋna''. A popular, but apocryphal, story is that the town is named after "Princess Owatonna", the daughter of local Native American Chief Wabena who was supposedly healed by a nearby spring's magic waters, which were said to be rich in iron and sulfur. The earliest the Owatonna area was settled was in 1854. It was platted in September 1855, incorporated as a town on August 9, 1858, and as a city on February 23, 1865. In 1856, Josef Karel Kaplan emigrated from the village of

Dlouhá Třebová Dlouhá Třebová () is a municipality and village in Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central ...

, southeast of Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), and selected a quarter section [] of land near the town of Owatonna. Kaplan described Owatonna as having just 50 small homes, but predicted 100 within a year, along with a railroad. With just four stores and a pharmacy, Owatonna quickly prospered and grew to 1,500 inhabitants in five years. Kaplan wrote about the Owatonna area in letters donated to the Minnesota Historical Society. In them, he described often seeing the indigenous people with "tough constitutions...brown skin and good dispositions", adding: "When you read about battles between whites and Indians, it is the whites who are to blame." In 1866, Kaplan helped organize the Catholic cemetery, and a year later, the Bohemian National Cemetery of Owatonna. Kaplan's Woods is part of the land originally owned by Josef Kaplan, and later Victor and Anna Kaplan. The State of Minnesota created Kaplan's Wood State Park, which was later transferred to the City of Owatonna. The Kaplan's Woods Parkway contains over of hiking and cross country skiing trails, and nearly of hard-surfaced, handicapped-accessible trail. The parkway includes Lake Kohlmier, a lake. The Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children was built in 1886. The school took in orphans from around the state and taught them "the value of drill, discipline, and labor." The children who died in the institution were interred in the Children's Cemetery behind the school. In 1945, the orphanage closed and in 1947 the State Public School was officially abolished and all its lands, buildings, property, and funds were transferred to the newly established Owatonna State School, which provided academic and vocational training for the developmentally disabled. The Owatonna State School was closed June 30, 1970. In 1974, the City purchased the compound for its office space. Renamed "West Hills," it continues to serve as the City's administration complex and home to many nonprofit civic organizations including a senior activity center, the Owatonna Arts Center, two nonprofit daycare centers, a chemical dependency halfway house, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, among others. In July 2008, a

Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...

Hawker 800 The Hawker 800 is a mid-size twinjet corporate aircraft. It is a development of the British Aerospace 125, and was assembled by Hawker Beechcraft. Development In April 1981, the British Aerospace (BAe) board sanctioned the programme to improve t ...

corporate jet crashed near Owatonna, resulting in eight deaths. On November 3, 2015, the Owatonna Public School District passed a bond referendum to fund school facilities improvements focusing on deferred maintenance, safety, and Elementary school crowding. As a result, the school district received $77.9 million to repair all buildings, replace out-of-date equipment, update security in all seven public school buildings, switch the use for two school buildings, and reconfigure grades from K-5, 6, 7-8, 9-12 to K-5, 6-8, 9-12. All facility changes and projects were completed by September 2018. On November 5, 2019, Owatonna voters approved a referendum, allowing the school district 104 million dollars in bond authority to build a new Owatonna High School. A smaller bond was also approved for the redevelopment of the old OHS site. The new high school, a 317,000 square foot building, located in south eastern Owatonna, broke ground on May 6, 2021, and opened to students on September 5, 2023. A public grand opening ceremony was held on September 23, 2023. Th
Steele County Historical Society
"preserves Steele County's past, shares the county's stories, and connects people with history in meaningful ways, for today and for tomorrow." Established in 1949 to preserve the history of Steele County, it has become one of the largest and most prestigious historical societies in the state. In 1962, the Society permanently leased part of the southeast section of the fairgrounds to begin a pioneer village, th
Village of Yesteryear
which has grown in the years since through the additional move of historic structures, as well as museum buildings built on site.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of ; is land and is water. The oldest part of the city (including the downtown area) is on a low-lying area on the eastern bank of the Straight River, extending towards the south from Maple Creek. The city has grown in all directions, and now lies on both sides of the river, as well as above the ridge north of Maple Creek. Significant growth in recent years has occurred to the northeast, where homes have been built along the ravine of Maple Creek as well as alongside Brooktree Golf Course, to the north, and to the southeast. Geographical landmarks of note include Kaplan's Woods, a hardwood nature preserve on the southern border of the city; Cinder Hill, a steep 60-foot hill on Linn Avenue overlooking downtown that local athletes use for training; the Straight River dam, originally used to power a mill and now reconstructed to include a fish ladder; and the Forest Hill Cemetery, an old wooded cemetery on the ridge north of Maple Creek that marks the boundary between the oldest parts of the city and more recent developments. Record rainfall events from September 22 to 24, 2010, caused flooding of the Straight River and Maple Creek in and near Owatonna, with developments in the floodplains of both streams completely inundated.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 25,599 people, 10,068 households, and 6,737 families resided in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 10,724 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.8%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 2.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population. There were 10,068 households, of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the city was 37.2 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, 22,434 people, 8,704 households, and 5,936 families resided in the city. The population density was . There were 8,940 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.09%

, 1.56%

, 0.13% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.92% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.31% of the population. There were 8,704 households, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,660, and the median income for a family was $54,883. Males had a median income of $37,691 versus $25,511 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $20,513. About 4.3% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 7.9% of those under 18 and 6.9% of those 65 or over.

Economy

Owatonna is an economic center of Southern Minnesota, with diverse industries. Federated Insurance is the largest employer, with 1,521 employees, followed by an expanding Viracon, which has 1,434 employees. Both have their corporate headquarters in Owatonna. Other large employers in the community are Bosch, Jostens, Gopher Sport,

Brunswick Corporation Brunswick Corporation, formerly known as the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, is an American corporation that has been developing, manufacturing and marketing a wide variety of products since 1845. Brunswick has more than 13,000 employees in ...

(

Cybex International Cybex International (NASDAQCYBI is an American fitness equipment manufacturer for commercial and consumer use. It produces mainly cardiovascular and strength equipment such as Arc Trainers, treadmills, stationary bicycles and steppers. Cybex ...

), Daikin Industries, Climate by Design (CDI), AmesburyTruth, ISD 761, Wenger Corporation, Owatonna Clinic - Mayo Health System, and Owatonna Hospital - Allina Hospitals & Clinics.

Arts and culture

In 1974, the City of Owatonna purchased the campus of the former Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children, which had been in operation from 1886 until 1945. The site was renamed West Hills, and now serves as an administrative center for the City of Owatonna, as well as housing several nonprofit organizations in the various historic buildings, including the Owatonna Arts Center. Little Theatre of Owatonna has called Merrill Hall in the West hills their home since 1966 The ongoing practical joke Pesky Pants took place in Owatonna between 1965 and 1989

Sites of interest

National Farmers Bank

In the middle of Owatonna's downtown is the National Farmer's Bank, widely recognized as one of the premier examples of the

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

in America. Designed by

Louis Sullivan Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago school (architecture), Chicago ...

, the building was finished in 1908 and features gold leaf arches,

stained-glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows, and nouveau

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

art designs, all still in pristine condition. It is a national landmark on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

and functions as a branch of

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...

Bank.

State School Museum

The State School Museum is at West Hills on the grounds of the former Minnesota State School for Dependent and Neglected Children.

Sports

The Steele County Blades is a

junior hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from t ...

team that plays at Four Seasons Center and is a member of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. Although having a similar name and logo, this team is unrelated to the former Southern Minnesota Express, which relocated to Michigan to become the Motor City Machine. The Express began play in the 2008-2009 season, and completed its final season in March 2011.

Government

Owatonna is governed by a mayor and city council
City Council of Owatonna, MN
* Mayor: Matt Jessop City council * Council member at large: Doug Voss * Council member at large: Daniel Boeke * First Ward: Nathan Dotson * Second Ward: Greg Schultz * Third Ward: Dave Burbank * Fourth Ward: Kevin P. Raney * Fifth Ward: Brent Svenby The city is in Minnesota's 24th Senate District, represented by John Jasinski, a Republican. District 24 includes portions of Steele, Rice and Waseca and Dodge counties in the southeastern part of the state. Owatonna is in House District 24A, represented by State Representative John Petersburg, a Republican, since 2012. Owatonna is in

Minnesota's 1st congressional district Minnesota's 1st congressional district spans southern Minnesota from the border with South Dakota to the border with Wisconsin. It is a primarily rural district built on a strong history of agriculture, though this is changing rapidly due to pop ...

, represented by Brad Finstad, a Republican.

Education

Public schools

Public education is provided by Independent School District No. 761

Elementary schools

* Lincoln Elementary, grades K-5 * McKinley Elementary, grades K-5 * Washington Elementary, grades K-5 * Wilson Elementary, grades K-5

Middle school

* Owatonna Middle School, grades 6-

High school

* Owatonna Senior High Schoolbr>
grades 9-12 * Owatonna Alternative Learning Center (ALC), grades 7-12

Private schools

Owatonna Christian School
grades K-12
St. Marys Catholic School
grades K-8 * Marian Catholic High School, 1958-1975 * Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, 1886-2008

Higher education

* Riverland Community College

Past schools

* "Old" Lincoln Elementary School, 1885-1951 * Roosevelt Elementary School, 1919-1980 * Jefferson Elementary School, early 1900s-1970 * First Owatonna High School, 1871-1882 * Second Owatonna High School, 1883-1921 * Third Owatonna High School, 1921-2023 * Minnesota State School for Dependent and Neglected Children, 1887-1945 * Owatonna State School, 1947-1970 * Willow Creek Intermediate School, 1990-2017 * Owatonna Junior High school 1965-2017

Owatonna Art Education Project

In Owatonna was the Owatonna Art Education Project.

Media

AM radio

FM Radio

Film location

Parts of the 1995 movie ''

Angus Angus may refer to: *Angus, Scotland, a council area of Scotland, and formerly a province, sheriffdom, county and district of Scotland * Angus, Canada, a community in Essa, Ontario Animals * Angus cattle, various breeds of beef cattle Media * ...

'' were filmed in and around Owatonna, including Owatonna Senior High School, its football team, and marching band. Much of the 2014 silent film ''The Root of Evil'' was shot on location in Owatonna, most notably at the Owatonna Senior High School and the Gainey Center. Produced by a cast and crew of over 60 Owatonna High School students, the film has received 10 awards at over eight film festivals on the international circuit. Memorabilia from the film is set to be on display in the high school museum.

Transportation

Local bus service in Owatonna is provided by

SMART ''SMart'' was a British CBBC television programme based on art, which began in 1994 and ended in 2009. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London. Previously it had been recorded in Studio A at Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingha ...

. SMART operates one deviated fixed route and paratransit service.

Notable people

* Ken Christianson, artist and musician, graduate of Owatonna Senior High * Masanori Mark Christianson, art director and musician, graduate of Owatonna Senior High * Lillian Colton, crop artist * Casey Driessen, fiddler * Elijah Easton, farmer and member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

* Arthur Fry, co-creator of the

Post-it Note A Post-it note (or sticky note) is a small piece of paper with a re-adherable strip of glue on its back, made for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. A low-adhesion, tack pressure-sensitive adhesive allows the notes to ...

, born in Owatonna * Theodore Marcus Hansen, Lutheran pastor and educator, pastor in Owatonna from 1948 to 1952 * Mike Hegstrand, professional wrestler, Hawk born in Owatonna * Noel Jenke, NFL player * Felix Kaplan, member of the

* William R. Kinyon early member of the

* Don Laughlin, founder of the resort town of Laughlin,

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

* Drew C. MacEwen, state representative in

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

Charles Edward Magoon Charles Edward Magoon (December 5, 1861 – January 14, 1920) was an American lawyer, judge, diplomat, and administrator who is best remembered as a governor of the Panama Canal Zone; he also served as Minister to Panama at the same time. He was ...

, politician, lawyer, judge, and diplomat * E.G. Marshall, actor known for '' 12 Angry Men'' * Craig Minowa, lead singer of

Cloud Cult Cloud Cult is an experimental music, experimental indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, led by singer-songwriter Craig Minowa. The name originated from the ancient prophecies of indigenous North Amer ...

* Tom Moore, NFL coach * Harold S. Nelson, Minnesota state senator and lawyer * Fred L. Peterson, mayor of

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, from 1953 to 1956 *

Connie Ruth Connie Ruth (born 1944) was an American politician. Ruth was born in Canby, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, was raised on a farm, and went to Canby High School. She graduated from Concordia University, Saint Paul, Minnesota, with her bachelo ...

, Minnesota state representative * Tom J. Shea, Minnesota state legislator and businessman * John Malcolm Smith, fighter pilot in World War 2 * Clifford C. Sommer, Minnesota state senator and businessman * Amy Tanner, psychologist who wrote ''Studies in Spiritism'', born in Owatonna * Sean Tillman a.k.a.

Har Mar Superstar Sean Tillmann-Hauser (born February 6, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has performed and released studio albums as Sean Na Na and as a member of hardcore band Calvin Krime, but is best known for his work under the name Har M ...

, raised in Owatonna * Evan S. Tyler,

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

state representative * Harry Williams, songwriter, director for

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American producer, director, actor, and studio head who was known as the "King of Comedy" during his career. Born in Danville, Quebec, he started acting i ...

* Travis Wiuff, a.k.a. "Diesel", MMA fighter, UFC * Adam Young, a.k.a. Owl City, co-founder of Windsor Airlift * William C. Zamboni, Minnesota state senator and mayor of OwatonnaMinnesota Legislators: Past & Present-William C. Zamboni
/ref>

References

External links

City of Owatonna Website

Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism
{{Authority control Minnesota placenames of Native American origin Cities in Minnesota Cities in Steele County, Minnesota County seats in Minnesota Dakota toponyms