# Monongalia County, Minnesota *Former county in Minnesota, named after Monongalia County, Virginia* Monongalia County is a former county of the U.S. state of [[Minnesota]]. It was absorbed into Kandiyohi County after an 1870 order of the state [[Legislature]].[^1] The county was named for Monongalia County, Virginia (today Monongalia County, West Virginia), because some of its settlers had come to Minnesota from Virginia.[^1] The source gives 1858 as the year the county was identified. It also states that the [[Dakota]] War of 1862 postponed the county's organization until 1861.[^1] As written, that sequence places the delaying event after the year it is said to have delayed. The cited text gives no further date that would reconcile the two.[^1] ## History New London served as the county seat after a short period in which the seat was at Columbia.[^1] Up to 1870, neither Monongalia nor Kandiyohi County had raised the money to build a courthouse.[^1] In 1870 the state Legislature directed that Monongalia be merged with Kandiyohi County, which lay to its south.[^1] In February 1871 the counties settled on Willmar as the new county seat, in place of Kandiyohi Station.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### When - 1858: county identified, according to the source.[^1] - 1861: organization, which the source says was delayed by the Dakota War of 1862. The source's dates conflict on this point.[^1] - 1870: the state Legislature ordered the merger with Kandiyohi County.[^1] - February 1871: Willmar agreed upon as the county seat.[^1] ### Where - Neighbor to the south: Kandiyohi County.[^1] - Seats: Columbia briefly, then New London. After the merger the seat was at Willmar, which replaced Kandiyohi Station.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Monongalia County, Minnesota* (revision 1363976962, retrieved 2026-10-25) — identification and organization dates, name origin, seat history, 1870 merger order, February 1871 seat agreement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monongalia_County,_Minnesota