Dallas County was created in 1859 from land which had been part of Polk County. The county was named for George M. Dallas who had been Vice President when Wisconsin was admitted to the Union as a state. The county was organized in 1865, but in 1869 the county was renamed in honor of Henry D. Barron who had served in the Wisconsin legislature and was a circuit court judge. So Barron County is one of five Wisconsin counties that have been renamed.
Rice Lake is the largest city in Barron County but the county seat is the city of Barron. The history of Barron dates back to 1860 when John Quarderer set up a logging camp on the site of what is now Barron. This small logging camp grew into a settlement and in 1876 Quarderer donated land for a courthouse. In 1880 Barron was platted as a village and in 1887 Barron was incorporated as a city. Jerome Foods was founded in Barron in 1922; this eventually grew into the Turkey Store and merged with Jennie-O foods, which was eventually acquired by Hormel Foods, though there is still a plant located in Barron.
The Barron County courthouse is located at 1420 Wisconsin Highway 25 in Barron.