Few Communities In Minnesota Are More Enchanting And Historic Than Owatonna
By Trent Jonas|Published July 29, 2023
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Trent Jonas
Author
Trent Jonas came to Minnesota to attend college - and never left. He's a Twin Cities-based writer with a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the proud father of two adult children. With more than a decade of freelance writing experience under his belt, Trent is often out exploring his favorite topics: Minnesota's woods, lakes, and trails. Rhubarb pie is his weakness, so discovering new diners is also a passion.
Although it’s not the oldest city in the Land of 10,000 Lakes – and with a population of 25,000, it’s not the small town it once was – Owatonna is, nevertheless, an enchanting and historic community in Minnesota with many unique things to offer. Let’s explore a couple of its most intriguing facets.
Non-native settlers first arrived in the area that's now Owatonna in the early 1850s.
A plat was laid for the town in 1855, and by 1858, it had incorporated. Owatonna reincorporated as a city in 1865.
Not long after the area was settled, water from a spring near Maple Creek was deemed to have healing qualities, based on a purported legend of the Dakota people.
Capitalizing on this tale, profiteers opened a resort and began selling Owatonna Mineral Springs Company bottled water. The venture folded before the turn of the 20th century, but you can still visit the site today at Mineral Springs Park.
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The state established the Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children in Owatonna in 1886.
West Hills Circle, W Hills Cir, Owatonna, MN 55060, USA
A year later, in 1887, the Owatonna Union Depot opened to serve both passengers and freight interests of the Milwaukee Road and the Chicago & North Western railroads.
It's independently listed on the National Register of Historic Places - as is the State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children - and it's part of the Owatonna Commercial Historic District, which is also listed. In all, 10 properties in Owatonna are included on the register. The National Farmers Bank of Owatonna is among them and is also part of the historic district.
The National Farmers Bank of Owatonna was designed by renowned architect Louis Sullivan and built in 1908. It's the most architecturally significant building in Owatonna - and it's of national importance.
Check out this video from PBS News Hour explaining why the National Farmers Bank of Owatonna building is so architecturally significant:
While there are, indeed, older communities in Minnesota, when it comes to a combination of history and charm, not many beat Owatonna. There’s enough to do here that it’d be easy to spend a whole weekend. You’ll find some good deals on accommodations over at Hotels.com and plenty of things to see and do in town.
(On a side note, if you find yourself in town during the summer, Owatonna just happens to have an outstanding municipal water park, River Springs, which also happens to be one our favorites in the state. So, don’t forget to bring your swimwear when you visit!)
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