Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Missouri County
Webster County, Missouri
Marshfield's Edwin Hubble birthplace and the Route 66 corridor - from Marshfield's distinction as the birthplace of Edwin Hubble (the astronomer who discovered that the universe extends far beyond the Milky Way galaxy and that it is expanding - the Hubble Space Telescope bears his name - was born in Marshfield on November 20, 1889) to Webster County's position as one of the fastest-growing Springfield suburban counties and the Route 66 corridor's authentic Ozarks roadside heritage.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Webster County Emergency Management – 433 Commercial Street, Marshfield, MO 65706 | (417) 859-7959.
Dispatch: Webster County 911 – dispatches for Marshfield, Seymour, Rogersville, and Fordland Police Departments, Missouri State Highway Patrol, and fire/ambulance districts countywide.
Sheriff: Webster County Sheriff’s Office – 101 South Crittenden, Marshfield, MO 65706 | 24-hour (417) 859-2247 | Non-emergency 911 Dispatch (417) 859-3911 | Fax: (417) 859-3614; Sheriff Roye H. Cole.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-60 and MO-38 serve Marshfield, the county seat and largest city, part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Notes: Webster County, organized March 3, 1854/1855, is named for U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Daniel Webster. Roughly 39,000-43,000 residents across 594 square miles – Webster County sits on some of the highest extensive upland area of Missouri’s Ozarks, with the county seat of Marshfield at 1,490-1,493 feet above sea level. Marshfield, platted 1855 and named for Marshfield, Massachusetts, sits on land donated by William T. Burford and C.F. Dryden.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Webster County Courthouse – 101 S Crittenden Street, Marshfield, MO 65706.
Notes: Marshfield is genuinely, famously the birthplace of astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble, born there November 20, 1889. Hubble is credited with discovering that the universe contains galaxies beyond our own Milky Way and formulating Hubble’s Law describing the universe’s expansion – discoveries that revolutionized 20th-century astrophysics and later inspired the naming of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, launched 1990. A scale model of the Hubble Space Telescope, created by Wm. Buesgen for the Chamber of Commerce in 1994, stands on the grounds of the Webster County Courthouse, dedicated to Hubble by the Webster County Historical Society; Hubble Township in the county is also named in his honor.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Webster County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via webstercountymo.gov.
Federal: VA facilities accessible via a Springfield VA clinic; confirm current routing.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Webster County Library – 219 W. Jackson St, PO Box 89, Marshfield, MO 65706; confirm current phone via moevergreenlibraries.org.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Edwin Hubble Space Telescope scale-model marker at the Webster County Courthouse and the Hosmer Dairy Farm Historic District are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine Edwin Hubble birthplace connection is one of the most scientifically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Webster County Assessor – confirm current contact via webstercountymo.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
WeCARe (Webster County Animal Rescue) – Marshfield, MO; confirm current address/phone via local listings.
City of Marshfield Animal Control – 798 S Marshall Street, Marshfield, MO 65706; after-hours emergencies routed through Webster County Dispatch, (417) 859-3911; $10 impound fee plus boarding, 10-day redemption period, rabies vaccination and city tag required for all animals.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Webster County – confirm current contact via webstercountymo.gov.
NOTES: Webster County is the third county in the sixteenth (final) batch of the Missouri v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine Edwin Hubble birthplace connection is one of the most scientifically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project. 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 Webster County
Webster County is southwestern Missouri’s Springfield exurban county – home to the birthplace of the astronomer who expanded humanity’s understanding of the universe and experiencing rapid residential growth as Springfield’s suburbs extend eastward.
Marshfield (the county seat, population ~7,500) is where Edwin Hubble was born in 1889. The Hubble Space Telescope – launched 1990 and producing transformative images of the cosmos for over three decades – bears the name of Marshfield’s most famous native son. A replica of the Hubble telescope stands in Marshfield’s town square.
Webster County’s proximity to Springfield has driven rapid residential growth – new subdivisions in Rogersville and along the US-60 corridor serve Springfield commuters seeking more affordable housing.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Webster County Assessor at 101 S. Crittenden Street, Marshfield, MO 65706, phone 417-468-3325. MO residential assessed at 19% of true value. Appeal to Board of Equalization.
Courts & Legal
Webster County Circuit Court at 101 S. Crittenden Street, Marshfield, MO 65706, phone 417-468-3949, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
101 S. Crittenden St., Marshfield, MO 65706
(417) 468-2223
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Webster County Circuit Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Though the Webster County courthouse burned in 1863, almost all records survived, with marriage records dating from 1855, wills from 1881, and land records from 1855.
Local societies
No dedicated Webster 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
Webster County Circuit Court, Probate Division 101 S. Crittenden Street, Room 22, Marshfield, MO 65706 (417) 859-2041
Webster County was founded March 3, 1854, named for Senator Daniel Webster, part of the Springfield metro area, seated in Marshfield.
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
101 S. Crittenden St., Marshfield, MO 65706
(417) 468-5000
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
101 S. Crittenden St., Marshfield, MO 65706
(417) 468-2223
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MO Dept of Social Services — Webster
(417) 468-3168
Cox Medical Centers
coxhealth.com (Springfield — accessible — major regional hospital)
Mercy Hospital Springfield
mercy.net (accessible)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Webster County Health Department – confirm current phone via webstercountymo.gov.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Marshfield
Population: 40,000
Area: 592 sq mi
Established: 1855
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Webster County residents.
