Owatonna, Minnesota Owatonna, Minnesota Location of Owatonnawithin Steele County and state of Minnesota inside Steele County and state of Minnesota Website City of Owatonna Owatonna (/ o w t n /) is a town/city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States.

Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August.

5 Owatonna Art Education Project The earliest the Owatonna region was settled was in 1854 and platted in September 1855, but it was incorporated as a town August 9, 1858, then as a town/city on February 23, 1865. In 1856, Josef Karel Kaplan emigrated from a village southwest of Prague Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and chose a quarter section (160 acres (65 ha)) of territory near the town of Owatonna.

Kaplan described Owatonna as having just 50 small homes, but predicted 100 inside a year, along with a barns .

With just four stores and a pharmacy, Owatonna quickly prospered and interval to 1500 inhabitants in just 5 years.

Kaplan wrote about the Owatonna region in letters donated to the Minnesota Historical Society.

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 6 miles (10 km) of hiking and cross nation skiing trails, and nearly 2 miles (3 km) of difficult surfaced, handicapped accessible trail.

The Minnesota State School for Dependent and Neglected Children was assembled in 1886.

In 1945, the orphanage was 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 the Owatonna State School, which provided academic and vocational training for the mentally handicapped.

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 activeness center, the Owatonna Arts Center, two nonprofit day care centers, a chemical dependency halfway home, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, among others. In 1995, the film Angus (1995), whose cast encompassed Ariana Richards and James Van Der Beek, was filmed on locale in Owatonna, mostly at Owatonna Senior High School. On October 31, 2010 Owl City's Adam Young held a hometown concert in the Owatonna Senior High School gym. On November 3, 2015 the Owatonna Public School District passed a bond popular vote to fund school facilities improvements focusing on deferred maintenance, safety, and Elementary school crowding.

As a result, the school precinct will get $77.9 million to repair all buildings, replace out of date equipment, update security in all 7 enhance school buildings, switching the use for two school buildings, and reconfigure grades from K-5, 6, 7-8, 9-12 to K-5, 6-8, 9-12.

Owatonna is an economic center of Southern Minnesota, with diverse industries.

Other large employers in the improve are Bosch, Jostens, Cabela's, Mills Fleet Farm, Lowe's, Mc - Quay International (Daikin Industries), Owatonna Public Utilities, Truth Hardware, ISD 761, Wenger Corporation, Owatonna Clinic - Mayo Health System, and Owatonna Hospital - Allina Hospitals & Clinics. Owatonna is governed by a mayor and town/city council. The town/city is positioned in Minnesota's 24th District, represented by Vicki Jensen, Democrat.

Owatonna also lies in House District 24 - A, represented by State Representative John Petersburg, a Republican.

Owatonna is positioned in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Mankato educator Tim Walz, a Democrat. Mc - Kinley Elementary, Grades K-5 ( Renaming to Washington Elementary school by September 2017) Owatonna Junior High School *, Grades 7&8 (Conversion to Owatonna Middle School, grades 6-8 by September 2017) Owatonna Senior High School *, Grades 9-12 Owatonna Alternative Learning Center * (ALC) Grades 7-12 Owatonna Christian School, Grades K-12 Minnesota State School for Dependent and Neglected Children 1887-1945 First Owatonna High School 1871-1882 Second Owatonna High School 1883-1921 Owatonna State School 1947-1970 Owatonna Art Education Project In Owatonna was the Owatonna Art Education Project.

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 of architecture in America.

The State of Minnesota created Kaplan's Wood State Park, which was later transferred to the City of Owatonna.

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

The team is titled the Owatonna Express freshwater the Southern Minnesota Express because, "With the new team in Albert Lea joining the North American Hockey League this season, and the rest in the Twin Cities and Rochester possibly coming into the fray in the next several years, the Express are no longer the sole owners of southern Minnesota." The Express begin play in the 2008-2009 season. The chief operator of the pool, Eric Anderson, keeps the enhance updated with hours and weather announcements along with specials through the Riversprings Facebook page and through the City of Owatonna page. According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 14.62 square miles (37.87 km2); 14.53 square miles (37.63 km2) is territory and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) is water. The earliest part of the town/city (including the downtown area) is positioned on a low-lying region on the easterly bank of the Straight River, extending towards the south from Maple Creek.

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 is used by small-town athletes for training, the Straight River dam, originally used to power a foundry and now reconstructed to include a fish ladder, and the Forest Hill Cemetery, an old wooded cemetery on the ridge to the north of Maple Creek that marks the boundary between the earliest parts of the town/city and more recent developments.

Record rainfall affairs from Wednesday, September 22, 2010 to Friday, September 24, 2010 caused record flooding of the Straight River and Maple Creek in and near Owatonna, with developments in the floodplains of both streams being completely inundated.

In the city, the populace 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.

Parts of the 1995 movie Angus were filmed in and around Owatonna, including Owatonna Senior High School, its football team, and marching band. In 1974, the City of Owatonna purchased the ground of the former Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children, which had been in operation from 1886 until 1945.

The site was retitled West Hills, and now serves as an administrative center for the City of Owatonna, as well as housing a several non-profit organizations in the various historic buildings, including the Owatonna Arts Center. Much of the 2014 silent film The Root of Evil was shot on locale in Owatonna, most prominently 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 celebrations on the global circuit. Memorabilia from the film is set to be on display in the high school exhibition.

Ken Christianson, artist and musician, graduate of Owatonna Senior High Masanori Mark Christianson, art director and musician, graduate of Owatonna Senior High Theodore Marcus Hansen, Lutheran pastor and educator, pastor in Owatonna from 1948-1952 Mac - Ewen, Washington State State Representative was born in Owatonna on June 12, 1973 Marshall, actor known as unflappable Juror #4 in film classic 12 Angry Men and for TV series The Defenders, was born in Owatonna on June 18, 1910 Letters to Bohemia: A Czech Settler Writes from Owatonna, 1856 1858 Owatonna employer profile Owatonna Express official website, 27 May 2008 United States Enumeration Bureau.

Owatonna Arts Center Wikimedia Commons has media related to Owatonna, Minnesota.

City of Owatonna Website City of Owatonna Police Website Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Municipalities and communities of Steele County, Minnesota, United States