Morgan

Formed January 2, 1833 (40^th county)

Morgan County (21,000), Versailles (2,535)

The red brick Renaissance Revival structure was constructed in 1889.  The facility is on a square at Newton, Fisher, Jasper, and Monroe streets.  Missouri State Highway 5 is nine blocks west of the location.  William F. Schrage is the building architect.  The structure features a center tower and corner towers.  A Justice Center was added in 2000.  There were 1836 and 1844 courthouses earlier in Versailles, the only county seat.  Morgan County was organized on January 2, 1833 from Cooper County as the 40^th county.  The county is named for Revolutionary War hero General Daniel Morgan.  The county seat is named for Versailles, Kentucky.  Millville was the first county seat in the county. 

Morgan 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.)  Three Circuit Court Judge serves Morgan, Camden, Laclede, Miller, and Moniteau counties and One County Court Judge and a court clerk serve Morgan County (judicial.)  The county is in the central part of the state.  Kansas City, Missouri is northwest and Springfield, Missouri is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5.1 miles South-Southwest of Versailles nearer Gravois Mills.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cooper, Moniteau, Miller, Camden, Benton, and Pettis counties. 

The area of the county is 598 square miles.  It is 55 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 54 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 35.1 persons per square mile making it 51 out of 115 in the state.  Morgan County has 23.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 clips the northern part of the county from Moniteau County, east, to Pettis County, west.  The county looks like an overstuffed chair.  Versailles is located near the center of the county.  Versailles is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 12.1% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced VER-SAELS.

Sunrise Beach