Versailles History
”It was said that one could tell who was winning the Civil
War by whether Confederate or Union soldiers happened to be staying
at the Martin Hotel.” Unknown
Located at Hwy 5 & 52, Versailles has been the Morgan County
seat since 1854. Missouri Pacific Railroad reached the town in 1858.
In the late 1800s, large numbers of Swiss and German families settled
there and many of them were Mennonites, still prominent among the
farmers that till the prairie uplands north of the community. The
business district of Versailles is built around a square, and this
early street scene shows businesses along the north side.
 The business district of Versailles is built around a square,
and this early street scene shows businesses along the north side.
The street in this photo, circa 1910, is not yet paved. Morgan County,
was organized in 1833 and named for Gen. Daniel Morgan, a Revolutionary
patriot. The old Martin Hotel (bottom), a half-block north of the
square, was built by Samuel Martin in 1878 and is now a museum.
At the 26-room hotel, guests were furnished with a bed, washstand
with bowl and pitcher, and a chamber pot. A coil of rope at a window
in each room served as a fire escape.
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