Location
Cottonwood is in Cottonwood County The Cottonwood River, crossing the southern part of this county, has been well noted in the chapter of Cottonwood County. It may be here added that a very large and lone cottonwood tree beside this stream, about seven miles northwest of Lamberton village, was reputed to be a chief reason for its name; but the Dakota had used the name Waraju, as spelled by Joseph N. Nicollet, which the white traders and explorers translated, for probably more than a century before the growth of that tree began. From: Upham, Warren. Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, First edition 1920. Third Edition 2001. Print.