Morris

Formed February 11, 1859 (31^st county)

Morris County (5,389), Council Grove (2,139)

A brown brick and concrete structure is the 1969 Modern courthouse.  The facility is on a square at Main, Chautauqua, Hockaday, and Rockhill streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 56 in the town.  Kiene and Bradley are the building architects.  A memorial plaque is on the building grounds while needlepoint art is displayed inside.  There were previously 1873 and 1891 courthouses in Council Grove since the county founding on February 11, 1859.  The county was the 31^st county.  The county is named for Ohio Senator Thomas Morris.  The county seat is named for the Native American meeting location. 

Morris County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Eight District Court Judges serve Morris, Dickinson, Geary, and Marion counties.  Morris County is in east central Kansas.  Topeka, Kansas is northeast and Wichita, Kansas is southwest of the county.  The county center is 12.1 miles Northwest of Council Grove nearer Parkerville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Geary, Wabaunsee, Lyon, Chase, Marion, and Dickinson counties. 

The area of the county is 697 square miles.  It is 70 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 65 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 7.7 persons per square mile making it 57 out of 105 in the state.  Morris County has 56.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 56 crosses the county east to west from Lyon County to Dickinson County.  United States Highway 77 enters from the north, Geary County, and exits to the west, Dickinson County.  The county is a rectangle with cutouts in the northwest and northeast.  Council Grove is in the eastern quarter of the county.  Council Grove is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 39.7% of the county population.