Worth County's small size shows up at the courthouse square

Worth County’s “smallest county” line can sound like trivia until you tie it to a real place. Worth was the last Missouri county organized, in 1861, and is described in the courthouse record as the smallest county in the state. The old county shape is plain: about 21 miles east to west and 13 miles north to south.

The county-seat story adds texture. Worth was once part of larger counties before becoming its own county. Its first county seat was Smithton, but the seat moved to Grant City in 1863. The first frame courthouse burned in 1866. Another frame courthouse followed, and then the county court sought bids in 1897 for a more permanent courthouse.

Use Census or the Missouri Official Manual for current area and population numbers. Use the courthouse file for the story: in a very small county, the courthouse square carries more weight because so much public life points back to one place.

That is why the Grant City courthouse matters. It was the first large, stylish building in the remote county and served as the public center of a rural county society. It was built in 1898-1899 on the public square, so it is both a government building and a county-pride marker.