Morgan County, Missouri
Morgan County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,006.[1] Its county seat is Versailles.[2] The county was organized January 5, 1833, and named for General Daniel Morgan of the American Revolutionary War.
History
[edit]Morgan County was organized in 1833 upon separation from Cooper County. It is named in honor of Revolutionary War General Daniel Morgan. Versailles, with a name referring to the French royal estate near Paris, France, was designated as the county seat and platted in 1854.
Established in 1853 there, the Martin Hotel was visited in the post-Civil War period by both showman and circus entrepreneur P. T. Barnum and outlaw robber Jesse James. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1978, it now operates as a museum. In 1858 the Mulhollen Station was a mail stop here for the newly established Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line, which carried goods and mail for several years to San Francisco, California.
The Morgan County Courthouse in Versailles, which has also been listed on the NRHP, was designed with French-style details, such as a mansard roof, in keeping with the origin of the town's name. It burned in 1887. The majority of the records were rescued, and the courthouse was soon rebuilt and restored.
Coal mining was historically an important economic activity in Morgan County.[3]
Geography
[edit]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 614 square miles (1,590 km2), of which 598 square miles (1,550 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (2.7%) is water.[4]
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Cooper County (north)
- Moniteau County (northeast)
- Miller County (southeast)
- Camden County (south)
- Benton County (west)
- Pettis County (northwest)
Major highways
[edit]- File:US 50.svg U.S. Route 50
- File:MO-5.svg Route 5
- File:MO-52.svg Route 52
- File:MO-135.svg Route 135
Geographical features
[edit]Demographics
[edit]2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 21,006 and a median age of 46.4 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.2 males.[5]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.1% of the population.[6]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[7]
There were 8,548 households in the county, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 21.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[5]
There were 15,110 housing units, of which 43.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.8% were owner-occupied and 21.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.0%.[5]
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[8] | Pop 1990[9] | Pop 2000[10] | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 13,570 | 15,314 | 18,693 | 19,573 | 19,298 | 98.28% | 98.33% | 96.81% | 95.18% | 91.87% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 94 | 94 | 97 | 123 | 126 | 0.68% | 0.60% | 0.50% | 0.60% | 0.60% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 55 | 68 | 119 | 113 | 105 | 0.40% | 0.44% | 0.62% | 0.55% | 0.50% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 7 | 25 | 21 | 75 | 61 | 0.05% | 0.16% | 0.11% | 0.36% | 0.29% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [13] | x [14] | 3 | 2 | 8 | x | x | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 10 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 57 | 0.07% | 0.03% | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.27% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [15] | x [16] | 214 | 310 | 905 | x | x | 1.11% | 1.51% | 4.31% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 71 | 69 | 161 | 365 | 446 | 0.51% | 0.44% | 0.83% | 1.77% | 2.12% |
| Total | 13,807 | 15,574 | 19,309 | 20,565 | 21,006 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Education
[edit]Public schools
[edit]- Morgan County R-I School District – Stover
- Morgan County R-I Elementary School (PK-04)
- Morgan County R-I Middle School (05-08)
- Morgan County R-I High School (09-12)
- Morgan County R-II School District – Versailles
- Morgan County R-II Elementary School (PK-05)
- Morgan County R-II South Elementary School (PK-02)
- Morgan County R-II Middle School (06-08)
- Morgan County R-II High School (09-12)
Private schools
[edit]- Dogwood Grove School – Versailles (02-09) – Mennonite
- St. Paul Lutheran School – Stover (K-09) – Lutheran
Public libraries
[edit]- Morgan County Library[17]
Communities
[edit]Cities and towns
[edit]- Barnett
- Gravois Mills
- Laurie
- Rocky Mount
- Stover
- Syracuse
- Versailles (county seat)
Townships
[edit]- Buffalo Township
- Haw Creek Township
- Mill Creek Township
- Moreau Township
- Osage Township
- Richland Township
Unincorporated communities
[edit]Politics
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Local
[edit]The Republican Party controls politics at the local level in Morgan County. Republicans hold all but five of the elected positions in the county.
Template:Missouri county elected officials
State
[edit]| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 79.04% 7,588 | 18.74% 1,799 | 2.22% 213 |
| 2020 | 78.00% 7,372 | 19.89% 1,880 | 2.11% 199 |
| 2016 | 66.35% 5,820 | 30.66% 2,689 | 2.99% 262 |
| 2012 | 51.59% 4,575 | 44.91% 3,983 | 3.50% 310 |
| 2008 | 47.58% 4,333 | 50.18% 4,570 | 2.24% 204 |
| 2004 | 60.18% 5,273 | 38.54% 3,377 | 1.27% 112 |
| 2000 | 53.57% 4,207 | 43.60% 3,424 | 2.83% 223 |
| 1996 | 45.08% 3,220 | 51.99% 3,714 | 2.93% 209 |
All of Morgan County is in Missouri's 58th Representative District in the Missouri House of Representatives, represented by David Wood (R-Versailles). Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end
All of Morgan County is a part of Missouri's 6th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Mike Kehoe (R-Jefferson City). Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end
Federal
[edit]Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end
All of Morgan County is included in Missouri's 4th Congressional District and is currently represented by Vicky Hartzler (R-Harrisonville) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 1,260 | 47.87% | 1,362 | 51.75% | 10 | 0.38% |
| 1892 | 1,088 | 43.21% | 1,143 | 45.39% | 287 | 11.40% |
| 1896 | 1,366 | 45.46% | 1,628 | 54.18% | 11 | 0.37% |
| 1900 | 1,434 | 49.84% | 1,390 | 48.31% | 53 | 1.84% |
| 1904 | 1,624 | 55.60% | 1,262 | 43.20% | 35 | 1.20% |
| 1908 | 1,663 | 55.30% | 1,315 | 43.73% | 29 | 0.96% |
| 1912 | 1,239 | 45.47% | 1,163 | 42.68% | 323 | 11.85% |
| 1916 | 1,578 | 53.19% | 1,368 | 46.11% | 21 | 0.71% |
| 1920 | 2,911 | 60.90% | 1,834 | 38.37% | 35 | 0.73% |
| 1924 | 2,489 | 56.61% | 1,842 | 41.89% | 66 | 1.50% |
| 1928 | 3,017 | 67.68% | 1,432 | 32.12% | 9 | 0.20% |
| 1932 | 2,000 | 41.61% | 2,768 | 57.58% | 39 | 0.81% |
| 1936 | 2,993 | 53.48% | 2,585 | 46.19% | 18 | 0.32% |
| 1940 | 3,166 | 56.98% | 2,376 | 42.76% | 14 | 0.25% |
| 1944 | 2,896 | 62.40% | 1,735 | 37.38% | 10 | 0.22% |
| 1948 | 2,365 | 55.80% | 1,862 | 43.94% | 11 | 0.26% |
| 1952 | 3,390 | 65.86% | 1,750 | 34.00% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1956 | 3,163 | 59.75% | 2,131 | 40.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 3,239 | 62.07% | 1,979 | 37.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,742 | 52.63% | 2,468 | 47.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,906 | 57.44% | 1,649 | 32.60% | 504 | 9.96% |
| 1972 | 4,021 | 70.47% | 1,685 | 29.53% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,831 | 50.60% | 2,738 | 48.94% | 26 | 0.46% |
| 1980 | 3,577 | 57.86% | 2,460 | 39.79% | 145 | 2.35% |
| 1984 | 4,392 | 66.94% | 2,169 | 33.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 3,958 | 60.13% | 2,604 | 39.56% | 20 | 0.30% |
| 1992 | 2,819 | 36.28% | 2,906 | 37.40% | 2,045 | 26.32% |
| 1996 | 3,059 | 42.89% | 3,006 | 42.14% | 1,068 | 14.97% |
| 2000 | 4,460 | 56.59% | 3,235 | 41.05% | 186 | 2.36% |
| 2004 | 5,657 | 64.50% | 3,053 | 34.81% | 61 | 0.70% |
| 2008 | 5,451 | 59.58% | 3,565 | 38.97% | 133 | 1.45% |
| 2012 | 5,733 | 65.99% | 2,773 | 31.92% | 182 | 2.09% |
| 2016 | 6,760 | 76.64% | 1,768 | 20.04% | 293 | 3.32% |
| 2020 | 7,442 | 78.44% | 1,924 | 20.28% | 121 | 1.28% |
| 2024 | 7,725 | 79.35% | 1,914 | 19.66% | 96 | 0.99% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Morgan County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ Williams, Walter (1904). The State of Missouri. pp. 456.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
- ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Missouri- Table 16 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 20-25.
- ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Missouri: Table 5 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 13-63.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Morgan County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Morgan County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Morgan County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
- ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Morgan County Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
Further reading
[edit]- History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries and Osage counties, Missouri : from the earliest time to the present, including a department devoted to the preservation of sundry personal, business, professional and the private records; besides a valuable fund of notes, original observations, etc. etc. (1889) online
External links
[edit]- Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Morgan County Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
- Morgan County Sheriff's Office
- Use American English from June 2025
- Use mdy dates from April 2024
- Wikipedia articles in need of updating from December 2021
- Articles needing additional references from June 2014
- Coordinates not on Wikidata
- Morgan County, Missouri
- 1833 establishments in Missouri
- Populated places in the United States established in 1833