Goodhue County Justice Center

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Goodhue County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 46,183. Its county seat is Red Wing. Nearly all of Prairie Island Indian Community is within the county.Goodhue County comprises the Red Wing, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area.HistoryThe county was formed from territory within Wabasha County on March 5, 1853. County boundaries were defined in 1854 and further refined again in 1855.Hamline University, Minnesota's first college of higher learning, was originally located in Red Wing, Minnesota. It opened its doors in 1854 but closed during the Civil War due to low enrollment. Hamline University re-opened in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1869.The county was a leading producer of wheat during the mid-nineteenth century, and for several years the county boasted the highest wheat production in the country, sending wheat through numerous mills in Red Wing and then transporting the grain along the Mississippi River.