”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, 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.