Nicollet County (pop. 32,727) is just east of Brown County. The Minnesota River is Nicollet County’s southern boundary; the river turns north at Mankato and becomes the county’s eastern boundary.
The county seat is St. Peter (pop. 32,727), home of the Lutheran-affiliated Gustavus Adolphus College (1862).
Old Main (1876)
Five governors of Minnesota were from St. Peter; they all served between 1853 and 1909.
The Nicollet County Bank (1887) is on the corner.
The Nicollet County Courthouse was built in 1881.
In Romanesque Revival style
A tornado on March 29, 1998, killed one person and injured many others in St. Peter.
Central School after the tornado
In the town of North Mankato (pop. 13,394), the old North Mankato Public School building (1890) has been turned into the Belltower Apartments.
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Five governors from St. Peter, huh? We lived in neighboring New Ulm for 24 years and I remember hearing there was a big tussle over whether St. Peter or St. Paul would be the state capital. Someone stole something– in an attempt to “get” the capital–my memory is fuzzy on the specifics.
Grandpa Dodds doctored horses all over here. after about 1900
Driving through St. Peter on our way to Rainy Lake during WWII we saw some sailors (in training at Gustavus Adolphus College) buying tickets at the movie theater. One, seeing the sign “babes in arms free,” picked up his buddy as they came to the ticket booth. We hoped the cashier let them both in!!!