Kansas History and Heritage Project-Morris County

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.





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This website created July 10, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
� 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project