Gasconade

Formed November 16, 1820 (20^th county)

Gasconade County (14,794), Hermann (2,184), Owensville (2,813)

The red brick domed Beaux Arts courthouse was built in 1898.  There were courthouses in Gasconade City (1820), Bartonville (1825), Mount Sterling (1828) and Hermann (1842).  The courthouse is on the river bluff at 1^st Street and Market Street.  Missouri State Highway 19 is Market Street in the town.  The courthouse architects are Jerome B. Legg and A. W. Elsner.  Gasconade County was founded on November 16, 1820 from Franklin County as the 20^th county.  The county gets its name for the region in France which is a French word meaning “braggart.”  The county seat is named by German settler for German hero Hermann der Cherusker. 

The area of the county is 520 square miles.  It is 75 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 69 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 28.5 persons per square mile making it 62 out of 115 in the state.  Gasconade County has 41.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 travels east to west through the county from Franklin County to Osage County.  The county shape resembles the State of Alabama.  Hermann is on the northern Missouri River border of the county.  Owensville is in the northwest corner of the county.  Hermann is the county seat and Owensville is the largest city.  Hermann is 14.8% of the county population while Owensville is 19.0% of the county population. 

Gasconade County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Court Judges serve Gasconade, Franklin, and Osage counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Gasconade County (judicial.) Saint Louis, Missouri is east and Kansas City, Missouri is west of the county.  The county center is 22.2 miles South of Hermann nearer Drake.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Montgomery, Warren, Franklin, Crawford, Phelps, Maries, Osage, and Callaway counties.  The county is pronounced GAS-KA-NAED.