Pierce County was created in 1853 from land that had been part of St. Croix County. The new county was named after Franklin Pierce who was then the President of the United States. So Pierce County is another one of Wisconsin’s Presidential counties.
The Village of Ellsworth is the county seat. The village was named after Elmer E. Ellsworth in 1862. Colonel Ellsworth was one of the first casualties of the Civil War. Ellsworth was chosen as the county seat because it was in the midst of the undeveloped center of the county; this was a compromise between the cities of Prescott and River Falls.
The Pierce County courthouse is located at 414 W Main Street in Ellsworth.