Morrison

Formed February 25, 1856 (34^th county)

Morrison County (34,010), Little Falls (9,129)

The classic tan brick and stone Victorian Romanesque Revival courthouse was constructed in 1891.  The facility is on 1^st Avenue, 2^nd Street, Broadway, and 3^rd Street.  Minnesota State Highway 27 is Broadway.  C. A. Dunham is the building designer.  Additions were made in 1961 and 1969.  A modern Justice Center was added in 1991.  The courthouse features a tower and turrets.  Morrison County was created on February 25, 1856 from Benton County as the 34^th county with Little Falls as the only county seat.  The first courthouse was built in 1869.  The county is named for fur traders William and Allan Morrison.  The county seat is named for local falls on the Mississippi River. 

Morrison County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer, an auditor, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-five District Court Judges serve Morrison, Becker, Benton, Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, and Wadena counties (judicial.) Morrison County is in the central part of the state.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is southeast of the county.  The Mississippi River flows through the county.  The county center is 16.5 miles East of Little Falls nearer Pierz.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Crow Wing, Mille Lacs, Benton, Stearns, Todd, and Cass counties. 

The area of the county is 1124.5 square miles.  It is 17 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 33 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 30.2 persons per square mile making it 42 out of 87 in the state.  Morrison County has 45.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 10 goes northwest to southeast in the county from Todd County to Benton County.  The county looks like a hatchet facing down.  Little Falls is in the western quarter of the county.  Little Falls is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 26.8% of the county population.

Swanville