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Missouri County
Saline County, Missouri
Missouri Valley College and the Arrow Rock State Historic Site - from Arrow Rock's extraordinary preservation as one of Missouri's most significant antebellum communities (the Arrow Rock State Historic Site preserves the 1830s-1850s village that was a major outfitting point on the Santa Fe Trail - the tavern, courthouse, and homes of artists George Caleb Bingham and Dr. John Sappington are among the finest antebellum structures in Missouri) to Missouri Valley College in Marshall (a United Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college founded 1889) and the Santa Fe Trail's Missouri River crossing at Arrow Rock.
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Office: Saline County Emergency Management Agency – 153 South O’Dell, Marshall, MO 65340 | (660) 815-7867 | Email: [email protected].
Sheriff: Saline County Sheriff’s Department – PO Box 366, Marshall, MO 65340 | Non-emergency (660) 886-5512 | Office (660) 886-5511 | Fax: (660) 886-5513 | Email: [email protected]; a full-service agency with patrol, investigations, warrant service, courtroom security, communications, and jail operations, staffed 24/7/365.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-65 and MO-20 serve Marshall, the county seat, in west-central Missouri along the Missouri River.
Notes: Saline County offices are centered in Marshall, MO 65340.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Saline County Courthouse – 101 E. Arrow Street, Marshall, MO 65340; built 1883, more than 110 feet tall, one of the best examples of classical architecture in Missouri, and NRHP-listed for its historic significance. A genuine self-portrait by artist George Caleb Bingham hangs inside the courthouse.
Notes: Saline County is genuinely the boyhood home of George Caleb Bingham (1811-1879), one of America’s greatest 19th-century painters, known for depicting American frontier life along the Missouri River in works like “Fur Traders Descending the Missouri” and “The County Election”; the George Caleb Bingham House in Arrow Rock became a National Historic Landmark in 1966. Marshall is also home to a beloved, genuinely documented local legend: Jim the Wonder Dog, a Llewellin setter from the 1930s-40s renowned for his uncanny ability to correctly predict outcomes and respond to commands in multiple languages, now honored with a dedicated museum and community garden. A 1912 granite marker on the courthouse grounds traces the historic Santa Fe Trail’s route through Missouri, one of 29 such markers placed statewide by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Arrow Rock, a nationally significant historic village within the county, preserves numerous NRHP-listed structures including the William B. Sappington House.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Saline County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via salinecountymo.gov.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via a Columbia or Kansas City VA clinic; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Marshall Public Library – 214 N Lafayette Ave, Marshall, MO 65340 | (660) 886-3391; houses the Maggie Duggin’s Genealogy Room, focused on Saline County history, with local newspapers on microfilm and an in-room Ancestry.com subscription; voters approved a 1/4-cent sales tax (Proposition L, November 2024) to fund a library renovation and expansion.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Arrow Rock State Historic Site (including the George Caleb Bingham House), the Jim the Wonder Dog Museum and Memorial Garden, and the historic Saline County Courthouse are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine George Caleb Bingham connection and the beloved local legend of Jim the Wonder Dog are distinctive local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Saline County Assessor – confirm current contact via salinecountymo.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Marshall Animal Shelter – 325 North Grant Avenue, Marshall, MO; confirm current phone/hours via local listings.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Saline County – confirm current contact via salinecountymo.gov.
NOTES: Saline County is the second county in the fourteenth batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine George Caleb Bingham connection and the beloved Jim the Wonder Dog legend 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 Saline County
Saline County is west-central Missouri’s Santa Fe Trail heritage county – a Missouri River community whose Arrow Rock village preserves one of the finest antebellum streetscapes in Missouri.
Arrow Rock State Historic Site preserves the 1830s-1850s village where the Santa Fe Trail crossed the Missouri River. George Caleb Bingham – Missouri’s most celebrated 19th-century painter, whose works documented frontier political and river life – lived and worked here. The Friends of Arrow Rock have maintained the village’s historic character for decades.
Marshall (the county seat, population ~12,000) hosts Missouri Valley College (enrollment ~1,500) and serves as the county’s commercial hub in the Missouri River valley.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Saline County Assessor at 111 S. Arrow Street, Marshall, MO 65340, phone 660-886-5753. MO residential assessed at 19% of true value. Appeal to Board of Equalization.
Courts & Legal
Saline County Circuit Court at 111 S. Arrow Street, Marshall, MO 65340, phone 660-886-3331, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
4 E. Arrow St., Marshall, MO 65340
(660) 886-3331
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Saline County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Saline 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
Saline County Circuit Court, Probate Division 19 E. Arrow Street, Room 205, Marshall, MO 65340 (660) 886-2300 Saline County is in west-central Missouri, seated in Marshall.
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
4 E. Arrow St., Marshall, MO 65340
(660) 886-5511
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
4 E. Arrow St., Marshall, MO 65340
(660) 886-3331
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Saline
(660) 886-6921
Fitzgibbon Hospital
fitzgibbon.org (Marshall — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Saline County Health Department – confirm current phone via salinecountymo.gov.
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Marshall
Population: 23,000
Area: 756 sq mi
Established: 1820
Tier: 3
Public Records
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