Lewis

Formed January 2, 1833 (39^th county)

Lewis County (10,036), Monticello (106), Canton (2,769)

The 1872 red brick Federalist building at Monticello is on Lafayette at Perry and Jackson streets.  Missouri State Highway 16 is one block to the east.  The courthouse sits on a hill with a small memorial veterans’ garden in front.  The building was enlarged on the west side and features a small tower.  J. T. McAllister was the building designer.  An Annex also supports the courthouse.  There were 1834 and 1839 courthouses previously.  The county was founded on January 2, 1833 from Native American Territory as the 39^th county with Monticello as the only county seat.  It is named for explorer Meriwether Lewis.  The county seat is named for the estate of President Thomas Jefferson.  It is also the source name for the county seat of Jefferson County. 

Lewis 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.)  One Circuit Court Judge serves Lewis, Adair, and Knox counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Lewis County (judicial.)  The county is located in the northeast part of the state.  It is on the Mississippi River border with Illinois.  Saint Louis, Missouri is southeast of the county.  The county center is 6.8 miles South-Southwest of Monticello nearer Ewing.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clark County and Illinois and Marion, Shelby, and Knox counties. 

The area of the county is 505 square miles.  It is 81 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 86 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 19.9 persons per square mile making it 80 out of 115 in the state.  Lewis County has 52.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 61 passes north to south through the county from Clark County to Marion County.  The county looks like a fat scoop.  Monticello is slightly north of center in the county.  Canton is on the eastern border of the county.  Monticello is the county seat and Canton is the largest city.  Monticello is 1.1% of the county population while Canton is 27.6% of the county population.  This county is in the Quincy Micropolitan Statistical Area.