Kanabec County is named for the Snake River which is named “kanabec” in Ojibwaymeaninmg “snake”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Aitkin County
E – Pine County
S – Isanti County
W – Mile Lacs County
Created: March 13, 1858 
County Seat:
Brunswick 1881 – 1882
Mora 1882 – present
County Courthouse – Mora
Location: 18 Vine Street North / Maple Avenue East
Built: 1893 – 1894
Style: Romanesque Revival
Architect: Buechner and Jacobson of Saint Paul
Contractor: Charles Skoglund of Saint Paul
Description: The building faces west and is a three story brown colored brick and stone structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Mora and is constructed with light brick trimmed with brown colored sandstone rising from a rubble stone foundation. The building has no basement. The windows and entrance are arched. A row of corbelled brick marks the eves. Tourelles accentuate the corners of the peaked square central tower that rises four stories. In the interior are hardwood floors and a staircase with spool balusters of oak. The two County District Court courtrooms are located along the south side of the third story of the east addition. The building houses the County District Court of the 10th Judicial District. In 1937, a three story addition was added to the east side. The architect was Thomas J Shefchik and contractor was Wendell P Huber. In 1974, a two story addition was added to the south side. The architect was Fred Wemlinger of St. Cloud. The building was renovated and expanded in 1999. The architect was Architecture One and the contractor was W Gohman Construction Company.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Kanabec County Courthouse
See: The 10th Judicial District includes Anoka County, Chisago County, Isanti County, Pine County, Sherburne County, Washington County and Wright County.
History: The county was created in 1858 and attached to Chisago County for judicial purposes until 1871 and Pine County until 1881. Brunswick was selected as the county seat in 1881. The county seat was moved to Mora in 1882. The first courthouse was a wood structure built in 1883 at a cost of $4,200 and the building burned eleven years later. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1893 to 1894 at a cost of $9,000. The cost of the 1937 addition was $36,000, and the cost of the 1974 addition was 1974 at a cost of $219,628.
County Courthouse – Mora
County District Court courtroom
Photos taken 2007, 2008, 2019 and 2022