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Missouri Counties
 Click Image to Enlarge Missouri CountiesMissouri has 114 Counties and one independent city. St. Louis City is separate from St. Louis County and is referred to as a "city not within a county." |
Lafayette County, MissouriLafayette County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
Etymology - Origin of County NameNamed for Marquis de La Fayette. Originally organized as Lillard County in honor of James (William) Lillard of Tennessee, who served in the first state constitutional convention and first state legislature. The name was changed in honor of Marquis de La Fayette's visit to the United States by an act of the Legislature on February 16, 1825. Demographics:County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts History of Lafayette CountyThe territory included in the present Lafayette County has borne many names. In 1813 the General Assembly of the Territory of Missouri divided Missouri into seven counties. St. Louis County, which was named for Louis IX (1214-1270) of France, included this territory. In 1816 this territory became a part of Howard County, a county name for Benjamin Howard, a Governor of Upper Louisiana. On June 4, 1812, Upper Louisiana became Missouri Territory. In 1818 Howard County was divided and this section was named Cooper County in honor of Sarshell Cooper, a great Indian fighter. In 1820 the name was changed to Lillard to honor James Lillard, who was one of the members of the first state legislature. An abusive letter written by Mr. Lillard, who had become disgusted with Missouri, caused the county to ask that the name be changed. In April 1825 General Lafayette visited St. Louis and the legislature in session at that time changed to county name to honor the distinguished visitor. The present boundaries of the county are Ray and Carroll Counties on the north, Saline on the east, Johnson on the south, and Jackson on the west. The two counties on the north are separated from Lafayette by the Missouri River. (LAWS OF MISSOURI 1820, 13; ATLAS LAF.; 1877, 63; Pace, thesis, 88, 119,; HIST. LAF. 1881, 206)
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The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define
the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local.
And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions,
reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history. Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally." |
