Moniteau County is named for Moniteau Creek which was named by the French after the Algonquin Native American word “Manitou” meaning “Great Spirit”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Cooper County and Boone County
E – Boone County and Cole County
S – Miller County
W – Morgan County and Cooper County
Created: February 14, 1845 
County Seat:
California 1845 – present
County Courthouse – California
Location: 200 East Main Street / North High Street
Built: 1867 – 1868
Style: Second Empire and Italianate
Architect: William Vogdt
Contractor: Underwood and Conn of Illinois
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick and stone structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of California. The building is 54 feet by 89 feet. The south front has a curved portico supported by two brick columns rising to a dome at the roof line. The cornice at the roof line extends outward. On the center of the roof is an octagonal wood cupola. The base of the building is course stone. In the interior, the staircase on the south side is wooden. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the north side of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 26th Judicial Circuit. In 1905 there was extensive remodeling completed. The architect was O E Sprouce. Minor changes were made in 1934.
See: The 26th Judicial Circuit includes Camden County, Laclede County, Miller County, Moniteau County and Morgan County.
History: The county was created in 1845 and California was selected as the county seat. The first court met in 1845 a few miles north of Boonesborough (California). The first courthouse was a two story brick structure built by Albert Byler in 1846 on the public square at a cost of $2,177. The building was sold to H C Finke in 1867 when the second courthouse was built by Underwood and Conn in 1867 to 1868 under the supervision of William Vogdt at a cost of $40,434. The building was remodeled in 1905.
County Courthouse - California
Photos taken 2009 and 2023