| Phelps County | |
| Organized November 13,
1857, from Crawford County and named for John F. Phelps, congressman and
later governor of Missouri.
County Seat: Rolla Address: Phelps County |
|
| Photograph | |
|
|
|
| History | |
| In 1857 Phelps County
commissioners were instructed to find the most suitable location for the
county seat on the survey line of a branch of the Pacific Railroad
without regard for the geographical center of the county. Edmund W.
Bishop, who was anxious to develop a town, offered 50 acres if the
commissioners would locate the county seat on his property. Although
opposition surfaced, the commissioners accepted Bishop's offer, and the
legislature concurred. The first courts convened in private homes or the
railroad office. Orders to build the first courthouse came October 17,
1859, to the county clerk, F. M. Lenox. This temporary building
continued in use until completion of the permanent courthouse.
During August 1859 E. W. Bishop was appointed superintendent of the courthouse. The court appropriated $8,000 for construction of the 45-by-65-foot, brick building, and the contract was awarded to P. J. Lynch and Andrew Malcolm. The court accepted the nearly completed building in June 1863, but deducted $2,000 from the contract price of $7,975 for unsatisfactory workmanship. The sand-mud brick for the courthouse has been reported as the first brick made in Rolla. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Rolla was recognized as a southern stronghold, but June 14, 1861, the Confederate flag was taken down. Union troops took possession of the courthouse and used it for their base of operation. The courthouse was also used as a quartermaster store and hospital. Figure 2 shows how the courthouse dominated the Rolla skyline during this time. Vault wings were added after 1881, the jail was added in 1912, and the cupola was removed in the 1940s. Clair V. Mann, Phelps County educator and historian, documented Phelps County's unsuccessful 20th century attempts to build a new courthouse. Copyright 2002 University of Missouri. Published by University Extension, University of Missouri-Columbia |
|
| Additional History | |
| The historic courthouse was begun in mid-Summer of 1860, used as a union hospital during the civil war and served as the courthouse until February, 1994, at which time all county offices were relocated in the new Phelps County Courthouse. The new courthouse was dedicated on May 22, 1994. | |
| Records at Courthouse | |
|
Recorder of Deeds: Index
to deeds, 1857-1887; Deed records, 1857-1927; Patent records, 1908-1926;
Index to marriage records, (no dates); Marriage records, 1857-1920. Clerk of the County Court:
Permanent record of births, 1883-1890; Register of births and
stillbirths, 1883-1890; Permanent record of deaths, 1883-1890; Register
of deaths, 1883-1890; Tax book, 1885-1886. Clerk of the Circuit
Court: Index to circuit court records, 1857-1880; Circuit court
records, 1857-1891. Clerk of the Probate Court: Index to probate records, 1858-1926; Probate records, 1858-1882; Probate minute book, 1867-1887; Administrator’s/executor’s letters, bonds and records, 1863-1892; Inventories, appraisements and sale bills, -1867-1887; Settlement records, 1874-1916; Will records, 1892-1924. |
|
| More Links | |
| Birth
& Death Records Database
Search
for Phelps County on Archives' Online Catalog Roll
by Roll Listing of Microfilm Missouri Birth & Death Records Database: Search & Record Availability |
|
