MORGAN COUNTY, situated in the central part of Missouri, with Osage river on the south. Area, 792 square miles. Seat of justice, Versailles. Pop. in 1840, 4,407; in 1850, 4,650. (Fanning's, 1853)
MORGAN, a county in the W. central part of Missouri, has an area of 690 square miles. The Osage river washes its southern border. It is drained by La Mine river, and by Haw and Big Gravois creeks. The surface is diversified by hills and ridges of moderate height, and partly covered with forests. The soil is generally fertile, excepting the highlands in the S. part, which contain mines of lead. Indian corn, wheat, oats, cattle, and swine are the staples. In 1850 this county produced 234,016 bushels of'corn; 11,933 of wheat; 54,272 of oats, and 69,103 pounds of butter. It contained 10 churches, and 280 pupils attending public schools. Stone coal and good limestone are abundant. The creeks furnish motive-power for mills, and the Osage river is navigable by steamboats along the border. Capital, Versailles. Population, 4650; of whom 4197 were free, and 453. slaves. (Baldwin & Thomas, A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States ... 1854)