Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Minnesota County
Mower County, Minnesota
Austin - SPAM Town USA and Hormel's century of meat packing - from the Hormel Foods Corporation (George A. Hormel founded his meatpacking company in Austin in 1891 and the company went on to create SPAM in 1937 - the canned spiced ham that became a global food phenomenon, fed Allied troops in World War II, and achieved near-mythic status in Hawaiian cuisine - the SPAM Museum in Austin is one of the most unexpectedly delightful food heritage museums in America, celebrating the cultural impact of a product that sold its 8 billionth can) and Austin's significant labor history (the 1985-1986 Hormel strike was one of the most bitter labor conflicts in 1980s America).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Mower County Emergency Management – 201 1st Street NE, Suite 9, Austin, MN 55912
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: Interstate 90 and US Highway 218 intersect at Austin, the county seat, in southeastern Minnesota
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Mower County Planning and Zoning Department – 1105 8th Avenue Northeast, Austin, MN 55912
Services: The City of Austin issues its own building and zoning permits within city limits via Austin City Zoning, (507) 437-9950; the county’s Environmental Services division handles permits via GeoPermits online services (burn, driveway/access, e911 addressing, and OS/OW moving permits).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Mower County Veterans Services – Austin, MN 55912
Services: Founded in 1884, originally operating out of the basement of the Mower County courthouse; part of the Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) region, serving a population of roughly 30,000 with a collection of about 103,000 items.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Mower County’s seat, Austin, is genuinely the birthplace and continuing global headquarters of Hormel Foods Corporation, founded there in 1891 by George A. Hormel. In 1937, Hormel introduced SPAM, the canned precooked meat product that became a global culinary icon and a critical wartime food source for American soldiers and Allied nations during World War II. Austin proudly bears the nickname “SPAMTOWN USA,” and the city’s SPAM Museum – a free, 14,000-square-foot museum in downtown Austin dedicated entirely to the product – is the world’s first and only museum dedicated to canned meat, drawing roughly 100,000 visitors annually from all 50 states and more than 70 countries, and ranking among Minnesota’s most popular free tourist attractions. Austin is also home to the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, the Hormel Historic Home, and The Hormel Institute, a biomedical research center affiliated with the University of Minnesota
Notes: Austin, “SPAMTOWN USA,” is genuinely the birthplace and global headquarters of Hormel Foods, and its free SPAM Museum is the world’s only museum dedicated entirely to canned meat.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Mower County GIS (GeoPermits) – accessible via co.mower.mn.us
Parcel Search: Mower County Assessor – 201 1st Street NE, Austin, MN 55912
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Mower County Environmental Services (e911 Addressing Application via GeoPermits)
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Mower County Humane Society – 101 22nd Street SE, Austin, MN 55912, (507) 437-9262
Services: Founded in 1950, this all-volunteer, no-kill shelter serves Mower County; the City of Austin also operates its own animal shelter located adjacent to the Humane Society, (507) 437-9400 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM–5 PM.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – pca.state.mn.us
Notes: Mower County Environmental Services also handles feedlot regulation, septic systems, and solid waste/recycling programs.
NOTES
Austin, “SPAMTOWN USA,” is genuinely the birthplace and global headquarters of Hormel Foods, and its free SPAM Museum is the world’s only museum dedicated entirely to canned meat. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Mower County
Mower County is SPAM Town USA – Hormel Foods’ Austin headquarters produced SPAM in 1937, fed Allied troops in World War II, achieved beloved status in Hawaiian cuisine, and now draws visitors to one of America’s most delightfully unexpected food museums celebrating its 8+ billion cans sold.
Austin (the county seat, population ~25,000) is southeast Minnesota’s regional hub – Hormel’s corporate campus, the SPAM Museum, and the surrounding agricultural processing economy define the community.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Mower County Assessor at 201 1st Street NE, Austin, MN 55912, phone 507-437-9484. MN homestead exclusion reduces taxable market value.
Courts & Legal
Mower County District Court at 201 1st Street NE, Austin, MN 55912, phone 507-437-9465, handles probate.
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Mower County District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
Mower County Genealogical Society, PO Box 145, Austin, MN 55912, confirmed.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Mower County District Court Mower County Justice Center, 201 2nd Avenue NE, Suite 3, Austin, MN 55912 (507) 509-7013 Mower County is in southeastern Minnesota, seated in Austin.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Minnesota follows the Uniform Probate Code, which keeps most estates on a streamlined informal track. Minnesota’s small-estate shortcuts are unusual among states in that they can include real property, not just personal property.
Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1201) – for personal property only. The entire probate estate – including the contents of any safe deposit box, less liens and encumbrances – must be under $75,000. Joint tenancy property and assets that pass by beneficiary designation (life insurance, transfer-on-death accounts) don’t count toward the threshold. A 30-day waiting period applies after death, and no court filing is required – the affidavit is presented directly to the institution holding the property.
Summary Assignment – can include real property, and is court-based. Covers estates up to $75,000, including real property. A certified copy of the court’s Decree of Distribution is filed in the county real estate records to transfer title.
Summary Administration (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1203) – the higher-threshold real-property option, covering estates up to $150,000, exclusive of the exempt homestead. The homestead itself is excluded from the value calculation entirely for both Summary Assignment and Summary Administration – Minnesota’s homestead exemption protects the family home from most creditor claims and it descends to the surviving spouse free of most claims against the estate. If closing and distribution follow the terms of a will, a formal probate hearing for the will is still required before a summary decree can issue.
STEP 2: FORMAL/INFORMAL PROBATE (for estates above the thresholds)
File with the District Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled; informal probate is available for most estates, with the personal representative appointed by the Registrar and minimal ongoing court interaction.
The personal representative publishes a creditor notice and directly notifies known creditors, opening a 4-month creditor claim period.
Once the creditor period closes and debts are paid, assets can typically be distributed and the estate closed without returning to court, unless there’s a dispute or a beneficiary requests a formal accounting.
Formal probate – requiring a hearing before a judge – is used in more complicated situations, such as will contests or disputes over the personal representative.
THE 3-YEAR DEADLINE – MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN MOST STATES Informal probate is no longer available after 3 years from the date of death, though formal probate may still be possible in limited circumstances.
What it costs
Small estate procedures can move relatively quickly once the 30-day wait passes. Standard informal probate is largely governed by the 4-month creditor period, so most straightforward estates take at least that long to close.
Minnesota has its own state estate tax, but the exemption threshold is relatively high – $3 million – so most Minnesota families aren’t affected. Rates on the amount above the exemption range from 13% to 16%, applied on a graduated scale; the exemption is not portable between spouses. Minnesota has no state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
201 1st St. NE, Austin, MN 55912
(507) 437-9400
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
201 1st St. NE, Austin, MN 55912
(507) 437-9535
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Mower County Public Health – Austin, MN 55912
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
