The Mower County Pioneer and Historical Society was formed on August 8, 1947 following that year’s Mower County Fair. The group came about when, at that year’s fair, the Fair Board honored all farmers of the county that had farmed and paid taxes for 50 years or more. A total of 52 men and women decided that it was time to erect a building dedicated to the pioneers of this county.
Two years later, on August 9, 1949, the Pioneer Building was dedicated during the Mower County Fair. Since then, buildings have been added to the site with the most recent addition, the Agriculture Building in 2003. There is one building owned by the historical society that is not on the fairgrounds site. That building is the Booth GAR Hall in Grand Meadow. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of two remaining GAR Halls in Minnesota.
