General Info
Brown County, named in the honor of Joseph Renshaw Brown, a trader, businessman, Indian agent, politician, speculator, and inventor. Four men from Chicago, Illlinois came to the area where Brown County is today seeking a new place for settlement. Brown County was established on February 18, 1856 and named New Ulm the county seat. The size of Brown County covered forty-two thousand square miles until it was reduced to its current size when Minnesota became a State in 1858 and more counties were founded. Early settlement came mostly from Germans and Norwegians who were attracted to the rivers and lush prairies. The county’s population expanded rapidly after a railroad was extended from New Ulm to Springfield. By 1900 the population of Brown County reached 19,787. Today Brown County is home to approximately 25,862 residents.
