Prehistoric cultural affiliation(s) include Dakota Nation and Late Archaic dating back to 1000.
The famous person Isaac Bargen is associated with one of more of the Cottonwood County historic places.
Some of the country's most noteable architects helped create the Cottonwood County places including O'Meyer & Thori, J.B. Nelsen and Des Moines Valley Railway Co.. Prominent architectural styles found in Cottonwood Country are Classical Revival, Queen Anne and Renaissance.