Phelps County, Missouri
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

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Phelps County Missouri Map

Phelps County was organized November 13, 1857, from Crawford County and named for John F. Phelps, congressman and later governor of Missouri. The County Seat is Rolla. See also County History or Courthouse History for more historical details.

Phelps County has records of genealogical interest available: 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. The Health Department has Birth & Death Records from 1910-Present. See Court Records for more details on whats available from the courthouse.

Counties adjacent to Phelps County are Maries County (northwest), Gasconade County (northeast), Crawford County (east), Dent County (southeast), Texas County (south), Pulaski County (west). Cities and Towns include Beulah, Doolittle, Duke, Edgar Springs, Flat, Jerome, Newburg, Northwye, Rolla, Rosati, Seaton, St. James

  • Phelps County, Missouri History Books at Amazon.com
  • Search Historical Newspapers from Missouri (1808 - 1922) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
  • Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
  • Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
  • Search Missouri Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

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Phelps County Court Records

See Also Missouri Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

All Departments below are in the Phelps County Courthouse located at 200 N. Main, Rolla, MO 65401; Telephone: (573) 364-1891 , unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.phelpscounty.org/ . See also Courthouse History.

PLEASE READ FIRST: Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Phelps County Clerk of the Court has Birth & Death Records from 1883-90. County Clerk has 1876 state census In this office in each county is located an index to common pleas, records of all extant proceedings, chancery minute books, records of births and deaths, county court records, right-of-way and road records, as well as surveyor's records (including field notes and plats made by the county surveyor). This office usually holds the county treasurer's notes, bonds and commissions, records of marks and brands, wolf scalps, stray notices, real estate assessments, and tax books. In some counties, early terms for this court included “Chancery” or the “Court of Common Pleas.”

Phelps Register of Deeds / Recorder has Marriage Records from 1857 and Land Records from 1857. The Office of Recorder of Deeds records and files instruments of writing affecting real property or personal property, subdivision plats, federal and state tax liens, and other instruments of writing. Also, the Recorder’s Office issues marriage licenses, and in accordance with the Uniform Commercial Code files termination statements. All recorded instruments are available for public research.

Phelps County Probate Court Clerk hasProbate Records from 1857 . In the smaller counties, probate matters are handled in the same office as the associate circuit court office. (In larger counties, there will be a separate probate court clerk's office and separate probate judges/commissioners).

Phelps County Circuit Court Clerk has Court Records from 1857. This office holds the direct index to records such as divorces, debt, dissolution of partnerships, adoptions, judgment, and tax fee books including direct and indirect indexes. They also retain the index to criminal records and criminal files of the circuit court. Adoptions are under the jurisdiction of the circuit court. Naturalization records, including petitions, declarations of intention, certificates, and certificates of allegiance, and granting of citizenship are also located in the clerk's office, as well as an index to civil case files. Some naturalization records have been found with the deeds.

Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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Phelps County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Missouri

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102, Please allow up to approximately 6-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:

  • Birth & Death Certificates: Birth records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For births that occurred within the past 75 years, copies can be requested only by the immediate family of the person whose name is on the birth certificate.
    • Cost: The cost of a birth record is $15 per record, $15 for each additional copy. The cost of a death record is $13 per record, $10 for each additional copy. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
    • Processing Time: 6-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
    • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon
  • Marriage & Divorce Certificates: To request a certified copy of a marriage license contact the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the license was obtained.To request a certified copy of a divorce decree contact the Circuit Clerk in the county where the decree was granted.
  • Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

Order In Person:To request a birth or death certificate from a local health department, you may download the application and submit it in person or by mail to the nearest local health department.

Order By Mail: Make check or money order payable to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Checks must be drawn on a United States bank. A money order must be drawn on a United States bank or issued by the United States Postal Service. Do not send cash. Mail to the following address:Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Please include return address on envelope and application form.

Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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Phelps County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Missouri

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Phelps County, Missouri are 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Phelps County, Missouri are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Missouri Census, 1830-70: This collection contains the following indexes: 1830 Federal Census Index; 1830-39 Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedules; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedules; 1870 Federal Census Index; Early Census Index.
  • Phelps County, Missouri Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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Phelps County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Missouri and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Missouri showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps.

You can view rotating animated maps for Missouri showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.

Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Maps. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Maps by clicking the link below:

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Phelps County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Missouri

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Phelps County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The Missouri Historical Society has some original tax records; others can be found in the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri, but most extant records remain in the office of the clerk of the county court. The Missouri State Archives has microfilmed some tax records for the counties of Boone, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Chariton, Clay, Cooper, Franklin, Howard, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, St. Charles, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve.

Prior to 1850, purchasers of the federal lands in Missouri were exempt from land taxes for five years after purchase. If one finds an ancestor on a Missouri tax list with livestock, etc., but no land being taxed, the individual may have purchased his land from the government within the preceding five years.

Some early delinquent tax lists were sent to the state auditor's office and are now located in the Capitol Fire Documents held by the Missouri State Archives

Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Phelps County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Phelps County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Missouri Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Phelps County Historical Society, P.O. Box 1535, 302 Third Str, Rolla, MO 65402-1535; Ph: (573) 341-4874
  • Phelps County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 571, Rolla, MO 65402; [EMAIL
  • Mid-Missouri Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 715, Jefferson City, MO 65102
  • Ozarks Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 3945, 534 West Catalpa, Springfield, MO 65808; Phone: (417) 831-2773 [EMAIL]
  • Missouri State Archives, Missouri State Information Center, [EMAIL]
    P.O. Box 1747, 600 West Main Str, Jefferson City, MO 65102; Phone:(573) 751-3280, Fax: (573) 526-7333
  • State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Str., Columbia, MO 65201-7298; (573) 882-7083, [EMAIL]
  • Missouri State Genealogical Association, P.O. Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • See the Society page for more statewide Societies and archives
  • Missouri Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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Phelps County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Missouri

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Phelps County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Phelps County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Missouri State Archives has published A Brief Guide to Church Records on Microfilm which is a county by county listing, but it is currently out of print. The available church records can be located by using the Archives' Manuscript Register. Church microfilm rolls are not available for purchase, without written consent of the individual church, and must otherwise be used at the Missouri State Archives. The Western Historical Manuscript Collection on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus holds some church records. These can be located by using their descriptive catalogue or microfiche guide. Most church records in Missouri are scattered and remain in private hands

There is no central registry for cemeteries located in Missouri. The following national cemeteries are located in Missouri:

  • Springfield National Cemetery, 1702 E. Seminole Street, Springfield, Missouri 65804. All known soldiers buried there, including those transferred from towns throughout southwest Missouri were published in Ozar'kin
  • Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 101 Memorial Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63125. There is a card file reference to persons interred there. Inquiries may be made by phone or mail.
  • Jefferson City National Cemetery, 1024 E. McCarty Street, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101. The researcher may phone or write the Jefferson Barracks for information.

Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Phelps County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Phelps County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

Phelps County was created by the Legislature on November 13, 1857, from territory originally belonging to Crawford, Pulaski, and Maries counties. The county was named for John Phelps of Greene County, who was governor from 1877-1881.

The county seat locating commission designated the area now known as Rolla to be the county seat. When the locating commission made its report, considerable protest was voiced concerning the choice of sites. Approximately 600 citizens of the county signed a petition of protest, citing the fact that only two of the three commission members had met to consider the possible sites for the county seat.

The matter went first to the Circuit Court and then to the Supreme Court. Before the high court could make a decision, however, the Legislature took action on January 14, 1860, confirming the location of the county seat at Rolla. Smarting under a considerable amount of criticism concerning the matter, all members of the county court resigned during April 1858, but later withdrew their resignations.

The town of Rolla did not exist as of November 13, 1857, when the county was created. Only the J. Stever office and John Webber's home were located in the area. Early court business included the location and opening of roads from the county seat to various places within the state, including St. Louis, Springfield, Jefferson City, Lake Spring, and Salem. It is in this last road order, dated in July 1858, that the use of the name Rolla first appears in the court records. The name was used earlier, in May 1858, in a deed of railroad land to the county.

On April 26, 1859, the county court ordered the 50 acres donated by Mr. Bishop for the site of the county seat to be surveyed. The survey was conducted by A.E. Buchanan, a young railroad surveyor. Buchanan delivered his plat to the county court on May 31, 1859.

On February 9, 1861, the day of Rolla's first town council meeting, a county-wide meeting was held to determine whether to join the Confederacy in secession. The consensus at that time was not to take any action until there were further developments. Further developments came in April of that year when Fort Sumpter was fired upon, and county residents decided to support the South.

The May 10 Circuit Court session saw a heated debate of secession, which broke up the court. Circuit Court Judge James McBride departed to assume command as a Confederate general under Sterling Price. Outside the courthouse, a group of men drew down the United States flag and raised a Confederate flag, which had been sewn by the women of Rolla.

The group then moved to the newspaper office of Charles Walker, a Union supporter and editor of the Rolla Express and forced him to close his shop. Southern sympathizers patrolled the town day and night, often ordering Union sympathizers to leave town. On June 14 of that year, General Franz Sigel arrived by train with his 3rd Missouri Infantry and took over the town. From that day until the close of the war, Rolla was in Union hands.

The 13th Illinois Infantry Regiment, under Colonel John B. Wyman, was brought in to guard Rolla and the Pacific Railroad's terminal. It was this regiment that did the basic planning and building of Fort Wyman, although other regiments undertook the task of finishing it.

President Lincoln's personal order was that Rolla should be held at all costs. Being situated at the terminus of the railroad, military wagon trains went out from Rolla to all Union armies stationed southwest in Arkansas, Hartville, and Springfield and northwest to the Linn Creek area, now known as Lake of the Ozarks.

After General Price's defeat at Pea Ridge in March 1862, several troops that were organized by Governor Jackson returned home. Confederate sympathizers, unwilling to profess their loyalty and support to the Union after the battle, were treated harshly. One example is the shooting of former presiding Justice Lewis F. Wright and four of his sons in 1864, after being taken from their homes for "questioning."

Other towns within the county included Newburg, incorporated in 1888, and St. James, incorporated in 1869. Arlington and Jerome were both incorporated in 1867, but neither is incorporated at this time. Doolittle, the last of Phelps County's towns to be formed, was incorporated on July 2, 1944. Other Phelps County communities include Edgar Springs which was incorporated during the 1970s.

History of Phelps County and Rolla

The first settlers came to this area in 1818 building along the riverbanks, doing a little farming. John Webber built the first house built in within the present city limits of Rolla in 1844.

One year later Lt. James Abert started the first railroad reconnaissance survey in Rolla. Abert was later to become the first professor of Civil Engineering at the Missouri School of Mines. The founder of Rolla, Edmund Ward Bishop, was originally a railroad construction contractor in New York. He came to this part of the country in 1853 with the job of building the “Frisco Branch of the Southwest Railroad.”

Because of an urgent demand, Phelps County was created by legislative action on November 13, 1857 from portions of Pulaski, Maries and Crawford Counties. A special commission was appointed to select the site for a county seat, with instructions to locate the site on the mail line of the railroad as near the center of the county as possible. Bishop then offered a tract of some 50 acres for the official town site, and it was accepted. There was disagreement over the site, the "westerners" wanting Rolla, and the "easterners" wanting Dillon, so the General Assembly did not legally declare Rolla to be the official county seat until 1861. The group favoring Dillon contested the decision all the way through the Missouri Supreme Court before it was finally settled in favor of Rolla.

Rolla was officially surveyed, laid out and named in 1858. Bishop wanted to call it Phelps Center, since his house was the center of the county. John Webber preferred the name "Hardscrabble" for the obvious reasons. George Coppedge, another original settler, and formerly of North Carolina, favored "Raleigh" after his hometown. The others agreed with Coppedge on the condition that it shouldn't have "that silly spelling, but should be spelled 'Rolla.'

The railroad ran its first train on December 22, 1860, making Rolla the terminus of the road. Until the continuation of the Frisco, all goods were loaded on wagons and transported to Springfield and south and west on what is now U.S. Highway 66 (Interstate 44). During the Civil War, Rolla was an important military post with as many as 20,000 Union troops here. The original Phelps County Court House was transformed into a hospital during the war.

In April 1861, Fort Sumter was fired upon and a decision was made to support the South. On May 10, Circuit Court session saw a heated debate of secession, which caused a break up of the proceedings. As the story goes, Circuit Court Judge James McBride soon departed to assume command as a Confederate general under Sterling Price. Outside the courthouse, a group of men drew down the United States flag and raised a Confederate flag, which had been hastily pieced together by the women of Rolla. The tension was thick when the group then moved to the newspaper office of Charles Walder, a Union supporter and editor of the Rolla Express. Walder was forced to close his shop and cease printing. Southern sympathizers patrolled the town day and night, often ordering Union sympathizers to leave town.

On June 14 of that year, General Franz Sigel arrived by train with his 3rd Missouri Infantry and took over the town. From that day until the close of the war, Rolla was in Union hands.

The 13th Illinois Infantry Regiment, under Colonel John B. Wyman, was brought in to guard Rolla and the Pacific Railroad’s terminal. It was this regiment that did the basic planning and building of Fort Wyman, although other regiments undertook the task of finishing it. President Lincoln’s personal order was that Rolla should be held at all costs. Being situated at the terminus of the railroad, military wagon trains went out from Rolla to all Union armies stationed southwest in Arkansas, Hartville, and Springfield and northwest to the Linn Creek area, now know as Lake of the Ozarks.

The Morrill Land-Grant College Act was approved by the U.S. Congress, and in 1863 the Missouri Legislature accepted this opportunity to set up a new type of higher education within the state. The act specified that the "leading object shall be without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and mechanics arts... in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits of professions of life."

The Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy was founded in 1870 because the area was rich in minerals and because the geographic location was good. Phelps County bid $130,545, including lands and bonds, and was awarded the prize. Today it is known as one of the finest engineering schools inn the world. Not confined to mining and metallurgy, it confers degrees in twelve fields of engineering and science, as well as graduate degrees.

Rolla’s history is a rich one, possessing action, emotion and adventure, enthusiasm, hard work and determination. No one could have predicted what a valuable resource to the world that Rolla, Missouri would one day become. Serving as a home to UMR, cutting edge technological businesses, industries, agriculture and commerce, family values and a scenic environment, Rolla is proud of where it’s been and where it is going, and continues to “make history” every day of the year.

Courthouse 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.

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