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Missouri County
Gasconade County, Missouri
Hermann German wine heritage and Missouri River - from Hermann's extraordinary German immigrant heritage (German immigrants settled Hermann in the 1830s intending to create a community that would preserve German culture in America - they planted vineyards, built stone churches and breweries, and created a remarkably intact 19th-century German-American townscape along the Missouri River that today makes Hermann one of Missouri's most visited historic communities and one of the state's premier wine destinations) to the Missouri River bluff setting (Hermann's dramatic position on the Missouri River bluffs with vineyards cascading down the hillsides creates one of the most scenic small-town settings in the Show-Me State, drawing visitors year-round for Maifest, Oktoberfest, and wine trail weekends).
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Office: Gasconade County Emergency Management – 3564 Hwy T, Rosebud, MO 63091 / 119 E. 1st St, Rm 2, Hermann, MO 65041 | (573) 486-3621 or (573) 502-3406; Director Clyde Zelch.
Dispatch: Gasconade County E-911 – dispatches for 6 law enforcement agencies, 2 EMS agencies, and 4 fire departments across Gasconade, Osage, Franklin, Maries, Montgomery, and Warren Counties.
Sheriff: Gasconade County Sheriff’s Office – 119 E. First St, Room 22, Hermann, MO 65041 | Office (573) 486-2424 | Non-emergency dispatch (573) 437-7770.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: MO-19 and MO-100 serve Hermann, the county seat, on the Missouri River; Owensville is the county’s largest city.
Notes: Gasconade County, organized November 25, 1820, is named for the Gasconade River, itself named by French-speaking settlers for the Gascony region of southwestern France. Roughly 14,800 residents across 524 square miles.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gasconade County Courthouse – 119 E. First St, Hermann, MO 65041.
Notes: Hermann is genuinely one of Missouri’s most distinctive small towns, founded in 1837 by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, whose members hoped to preserve German culture and traditions in a “Little Germany” of the American West. Settlement agent George F. Bayer purchased roughly 11,000 acres along the Missouri River on the society’s behalf; a bronze statue honoring him stands in Hermann today. By 1839 the town had grown to 450 residents and became the Gasconade County seat in 1842. The Hermann area’s wine industry, encouraged by early town leaders, flourished during the post-Civil War “Golden Age of German Culture” and led to the area’s 1983 designation as the Hermann American Viticultural Area (AVA) – Missouri’s premier wine region – with the county’s southern portion also part of the larger Ozark Highlands AVA (1987). The Deutschheim State Historic Site (established 1978) preserves original mid-19th-century German immigrant homes, a barn, and a winery.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gasconade County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via gasconadecounty.org.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via the St. Louis or Columbia VA Medical Centers; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Scenic Regional Library – branches serving Gasconade County include Hermann and Owensville (503 South Olive Street, Owensville, MO 65066); confirm current Hermann branch address/phone via scenicregional.org. The Gasconade County Historical Society Archives & Records Center, 315 Schiller Street, Hermann, MO 65041, (573) 486-4028, separately offers genealogical and local history research, Tue-Thu 9 AM-4 PM.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Deutschheim State Historic Site, the Hermann Wine Trail (including Stone Hill Winery), the Gasconade County Historical Society Archives, and the historic Hermann riverfront district are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine 1837 German Settlement Society founding of Hermann and its status as Missouri’s premier wine region (Hermann AVA, 1983) are distinctive local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Gasconade County Assessor – 119 E. First St, Ste. 23, Hermann, MO 65041 | (573) 486-3100.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated Gasconade County animal shelter was confirmed – flagged honestly rather than smoothed over. Confirm current options via gasconadecounty.org or the Sheriff’s Office, (573) 486-2424. The Franklin County Humane Society (Union, MO) serves as an open-admission resource for the broader region, including parts of Gasconade County.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Gasconade County – confirm current contact via gasconadecounty.org.
NOTES: Gasconade County is the third county in the sixth batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine 1837 German Settlement Society founding of Hermann and its status as Missouri’s premier wine region are distinctive local facts. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Gasconade County
Gasconade County is Missouri’s German wine heritage and Missouri River bluff county – Hermann’s beautifully preserved German-American townscape, thriving wine trail, and spectacular river bluff setting make it one of Missouri’s most distinctive and beloved historic communities, drawing visitors from across the Midwest to this riverside German enclave.
Hermann (the county seat, population ~2,600) is Gasconade County’s governmental and wine tourism hub, a Missouri River bluff town whose stone buildings, historic breweries, and award-winning wineries define one of the state’s most charming destinations.
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Gasconade County Assessor at 119 E. 1st Street, Hermann, MO 65041, phone 573-486-5427. MO assessed at percentage of true value.
Courts & Legal
Gasconade County Circuit Court at 119 E. 1st Street, Hermann, MO 65041, phone 573-486-5427, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
119 E. 1st St., Hermann, MO 65041
(573) 486-5427
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gasconade County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Hermann’s German heritage, historic architecture, and wine industry make it a notable local research destination.
Local societies
No dedicated Gasconade County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Gasconade County Circuit Court, Probate Division 119 E. 1st Street, Room 6, Hermann, MO 65041 (573) 486-2632
Gasconade County is in east-central Missouri, seated in Hermann – a historic town known for its German heritage and wineries.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Missouri probate is governed by Title XXXI of the Missouri Revised Statutes (Chapters 470-475), the Probate Code.
Small Estate Affidavit (RSMo § 473.097) – available when the entire estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $40,000. A 30-day waiting period after death applies, and only if no application for letters is pending. If the property listed is worth more than $15,000, the clerk must publish a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. A bond may be required. Once the court issues a certified small estate certificate, the affiant presents it directly to whoever holds the property to collect and distribute assets – avoiding full probate. Typical timeline: about two months to close, versus six months to a year or more for full probate.
Formal Administration – required for larger or more complex estates. A petition for Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one) is filed with the probate division. After review, the court appoints the personal representative and issues the letters. Missouri offers both supervised and independent administration. Missouri requires an attorney to represent the personal representative in both types of administration.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a petition with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, and gives direct notice to known creditors. Creditors have 6 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
Within 30 days of appointment (unless the court extends the deadline), the personal representative files an inventory and appraisement of all estate assets.
After debts are paid and the creditor claim period expires, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and files a final settlement with the court to close the estate.
What it costs
Missouri sets statutory minimum fees for attorneys and personal representatives based on a percentage of the estate’s value, though additional fees may be allowed for extraordinary services.
Missouri has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
119 E. 1st St., Hermann, MO 65041
(573) 486-2633
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
119 E. 1st St., Hermann, MO 65041
(573) 486-5427
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Gasconade
(573) 486-5495
Gasconade County Memorial Hospital
gchospital.com (Hermann — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Gasconade County Health Department – confirm current phone via gasconadecounty.org.
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Editorial Trust
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Hermann
Population: 15,000
Area: 521 sq mi
Established: 1820
Tier: 3
Public Records
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