Morris County History
Morris County was organized in 1858 and was named in
honor of an anti-slavery leader. This appellation marks the
earliest legislative victories of the free state party. The region
had been named previously in honor of a Virginian senator with
opposite predilections. The area of the county is 700 square miles
and the population in 1875, was 4,597, in which the preponderance of males was 879. Farming engages 60 per cent, of the settlers, trade and transportation 6, and mines and manufactures over
11. Council Grove is the county seat 52 miles southwest from
Topeka on the Neosho river, 22 miles from Emporie, with a station on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad. There are in
the county seat two newspapers, two churches, three schools, a
national bank and a coal mine, but the product is not considerable. There is a good mill here and another being erected on the
Kaw reserve. The water powers are excellent. The manufactures of the county are in Elm township, two steam grist mills
a water power grist mill and a cheese factory; in Neosho two saw
mills; in Valley township, four saw mills, one water power and
three steam; in Parker, a steam saw and grist mill ; besides a
brick yard, lime kiln, salt well, one water power and one steam
grist mill in Council Grove township. This is a fine agricultural
county; 15 per cent, of the surface is bottom land and 5 per cent,
forest; the streams are the Neosho river and its tributaries, Munkres, Little John, Big John, Rock, Elm, Four Mile and Kahola
creeks. There are two other noteworthy creeks, Clark and
Diamond. The springs of this county are numerous, including
the famous Diamond and Hill springs, and well water has been
always found within 10 to 40 feet. Fine magnesian limestone is
plentiful ; red ochre of excellent quality abounds. Fire and
pottery clay are abundant, and gypsum in limited quantities but
mixed and impure. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Eailroad
traverses the county with stations at Skiddy, Parkerville and
Council Grove. There are 44 districts and 40 school houses valued at $52,000. Libraries are reported with 3,393 volumes, and
churches number one only valued at $4,500. Morris suffered
severely from the locusts as there were 1,090 reported wanting
rations and about the same number wanting clothes in a population of only 4,036.
Return to Morris Co. KHHP
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This website created July 10, 2011 by Sheryl McClure. � 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project
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