Deuel County is named for Jacob S Deuel, who was an early settler and owner of a sawmill.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Grant County
E – Lac Qui Parle County, Minnesota, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota and Lincoln County, Minnesota
S – Brookings County
W – Hamlin County and Codington County
Created: April 5, 1862
County Seat:
Gary 1862 – 1890
Clear Lake 1890 – present
County Courthouse – Clear Lake
Location: 408 4th Street West / 5th Avenue South
Built: 1916 – 1917
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Buechner & Orth of St. Paul, Minnesota
Contractor: A M Wold Construction Company
Description: The building faces north and is a three story square gray colored stone and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located ion landscaped grounds on the west side of the center of Clear Lake. The building has a protruding center portion at the main entrance. Above the doorway is a small balcony on the second story. In the interior is a central dome with stained glass and murals painted by Odin J Oyen of Madison, Wisconsin. There is a double staircase ascending to the third story. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the west side of the third story and has a large mural by Oden J Oyen behind the judge’s bench. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 3rd Judicial Circuit and the County Magistrate Court.
See: The architect Buechiner & Orth of St. Paul, Minnesota designed many courthouses.
See: Odin J Oyen of Madison, Wisconsin painted murals in the courthouses located in Iowa - Osceola County: Michigan - Shiawassee County; North Dakota - Cass County; South Dakota - Brown County and Yankton County (demolished) ; and Wisconsin – La Crosse (demolished), Lafayette County, Langlade County and Manitowoc County.
See: The 3rd Judicial Circuit includes Beadle County, Brookings County, Clark County, Codington County, Grant County, Hamlin County, Hand County, Jerauld County, Kingsbury County, Lake County, Miner County, Moody County and Sanborn County.
History: The county was created in 1862 and Gary was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was erected in Gary in 1862 paid for by the Gary & Chicago Railway Company. The county seat was moved to Clear Lake in 1890. The second courthouse was built in 1891 with the assistance of local labor. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1916 to 1917.

County Courthouse – Clear Lake
















County Circuit Court courtroom











Photos taken 2007, 2016 and 2018