Northern Missouri
Kingston is Caldwell County's small county seat
Newcomers may expect the county seat to be the biggest town, but Caldwell County government — the courthouse, recorder, assessor, and collector — sits in Kingston, a town of about 300, not in larger Hamilton.
Kingston is small enough to surprise a newcomer, but it is still Caldwell County’s seat. Hamilton is the larger town up on U.S. 36, while the county courthouse sits in Kingston.
That changes ordinary errands. The Caldwell County Courthouse is at 49 E. Main Street, and the recorder, assessor, and collector are the kinds of offices people look for when they need land records, assessment questions, tax bills, or receipts.
A simple map rule helps: county business runs through Kingston; city business runs through each city hall. Before driving over, check the current courthouse hours, office locations, and online options. The biggest town is not always where the county counter sits.
References
Where this fits: this note belongs to Caldwell County. See every local note for the county on its page.