Palo Alto County is named for the first battlefield in the Mexican-American War.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Emmet County
E – Kossuth County
W – Clay County
Created: January 18, 1851 
County Seat:
Paoli 1858 – 1875
Emmetsburg 1875 – present
County Courthouse – Emmetsburg
Location: 1010 Broadway Street / 12th Street
Built: 1880 – 1881
Style: Victorian
Architect: B J Bartlet
Contractor: D E Burdick
Description: The building faces west and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Emmetsburg. The building has a high square tower on the west front with extending roof rising three stories above the entrance on the first story. The base of the building is darker red colored brick. The courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the County District Court of the 3A Judicial District. The building was extensively remodeled in 1960 and 1969 when the cupola was removed. An addition was constructed on the east side in 1977.
See: The 3A Judicial District includes Buena Vista County, Cherokee County, Clay County, Dickinson County, Emmet County, Kossuth County, Lyon County, O’Brien County and Osceola County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and was attached to Boone County and Webster County. Paoli was selected as the county seat in 1858 and the first courthouse was a brick structure built in 1858 to 1859 at Paoli on the east bank of the Des Moines River. The building soon collapsed and was rebuilt but county offices continued in a building at Soda Bar. The county seat was moved to Emmetsburg in 1875. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1880 to 1881.
County Courthouse – Emmetsburg
Commissioner Minutes – courthouse contract
Photos taken 2008 and 2010