Morgan County, Missouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morgan County
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The Morgan County Courthouse in Versailles
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Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
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 Missouri's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Missouri |
| Founded | January 5, 1833 |
| Named for | Daniel Morgan |
| Seat | Versailles |
| Largest city | Versailles |
| Area | |
| • Total | 614 sq mi (1,590 km2) |
| • Land | 598 sq mi (1,550 km2) |
| • Water | 16 sq mi (40 km2) 2.7% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 21,006 |
| • Density | 34.212/sq mi (13.209/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Morgan County is a county located in the central part of Missouri, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 21,006 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Versailles. Morgan County was created on January 5, 1833. It was named after General Daniel Morgan, a hero from the American Revolutionary War.
Contents
History of Morgan County
Morgan County was formed in 1833. It was separated from Cooper County. The county is named after Revolutionary War General Daniel Morgan. The town of Versailles was chosen as the county seat in 1854. Its name comes from the famous royal palace near Paris, France.
Important Places and Events
The Martin Hotel was built in Versailles in 1853. Famous people like showman P. T. Barnum and outlaw Jesse James visited it. Today, the Martin Hotel is a museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
In 1858, Mulhollen Station in Morgan County became a mail stop. This was for the new Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line. This line carried goods and mail all the way to San Francisco, California.
The Morgan County Courthouse in Versailles also has French-style details. This design matches the town's name. The courthouse burned down in 1887. Luckily, most of the important records were saved. The courthouse was quickly rebuilt and fixed.
In the past, coal mining was a very important job in Morgan County.
Geography of Morgan County
Morgan County covers a total area of 614 square miles. About 598 square miles of this is land. The remaining 16 square miles (2.7%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Morgan County shares borders with these other counties:
- Cooper County (north)
- Moniteau County (northeast)
- Miller County (southeast)
- Camden County (south)
- Benton County (west)
- Pettis County (northwest)
Main Roads in Morgan County
These are the major highways that run through Morgan County:
U.S. Route 50
Route 5
Route 52
Route 135
Natural Features
Morgan County has several interesting natural features, including:
- Brewner Hollow
- Sawmill Hollow
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 4,407 | — | |
| 1850 | 4,650 | 5.5% | |
| 1860 | 8,202 | 76.4% | |
| 1870 | 8,434 | 2.8% | |
| 1880 | 10,132 | 20.1% | |
| 1890 | 12,311 | 21.5% | |
| 1900 | 12,175 | −1.1% | |
| 1910 | 12,863 | 5.7% | |
| 1920 | 12,015 | −6.6% | |
| 1930 | 10,968 | −8.7% | |
| 1940 | 11,140 | 1.6% | |
| 1950 | 10,270 | −7.8% | |
| 1960 | 9,476 | −7.7% | |
| 1970 | 10,068 | 6.2% | |
| 1980 | 13,807 | 37.1% | |
| 1990 | 15,574 | 12.8% | |
| 2000 | 20,820 | 33.7% | |
| 2010 | 20,565 | −1.2% | |
| 2020 | 21,006 | 2.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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As of 2020, the population of Morgan County was 21,006 people.
Who Lives in Morgan County?
In 2007, there were over 7,850 households in the county. About 26.60% of these households had children under 18 living there. Many households (60.50%) were married couples living together.
The population of the county is spread out by age. About 23.80% of people were under 18 years old. About 19.60% were 65 years or older. The average age in the county was 43 years.
Education in Morgan County
Morgan County has several schools for students of all ages.
Public Schools
- Stover is home to the Morgan County R-I School District.
- Morgan County R-I Elementary School (Pre-kindergarten to 4th grade)
- Morgan County R-I Middle School (5th to 8th grade)
- Morgan County R-I High School (9th to 12th grade)
- Versailles has the Morgan County R-II School District.
- Morgan County R-II Elementary School (Pre-kindergarten to 5th grade)
- Morgan County R-II South Elementary School (Pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade)
- Morgan County R-II Middle School (6th to 8th grade)
- Morgan County R-II High School (9th to 12th grade)
Private Schools
- Dogwood Grove School in Versailles (2nd to 9th grade) is a Mennonite school.
- St. Paul Lutheran School in Stover (Kindergarten to 9th grade) is a Lutheran school.
Public Libraries
- The Morgan County Library serves the community.
Communities in Morgan County
Morgan County includes several cities, towns, and smaller communities.
Cities and Towns
- Barnett
- Gravois Mills
- Laurie
- Rocky Mount
- Stover
- Syracuse
- Versailles (the county seat)
Townships
- Buffalo Township
- Haw Creek Township
- Mill Creek Township
- Moreau Township
- Osage Township
- Richland Township
Unincorporated Communities
- Aikinsville
- Boylers Mill
- Buck Creek
- Excelsior
- Florence
- Glensted
- Marvin
- Proctor
- Pyrmont
- Riverview
- Rocky Mount
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Morgan (Misuri) para niños
