▁S ett lement ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁county ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁the ▁first ▁cour th ouse ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁Melbourne , ▁formerly ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁sout heast ▁quarter ▁of ▁section ▁ 3 4 , ▁P ly mouth ▁Township , ▁about ▁five ▁to ▁six ▁miles ▁due ▁south ▁of ▁M err ill . ▁The ▁first ▁public ▁school ▁opened ▁its ▁doors ▁there ▁with ▁ 3 2 ▁pup ils . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁Le ▁Mars ▁and ▁a ▁cour th ouse ▁and ▁j ail ▁were ▁built ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁The ▁present ▁P ly mouth ▁County ▁cour th ouse ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁of ▁red ▁sand stone . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁far mers ▁in ▁the ▁county ▁organized ▁the ▁Farm ers ▁Hol iday ▁Group , ▁to ▁keep ▁farm ▁products ▁off ▁the ▁market ▁until ▁the ▁desired ▁price ▁was ▁met . ▁A ▁radical ▁group ▁among ▁them ▁ab duct ed ▁Judge ▁Brad ley ▁from ▁his ▁court ▁chamber ▁and ▁threatened ▁to ▁hang ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁cour th ouse . ▁Brad ley ▁was ▁fre ed , ▁but ▁the ▁governor ▁ordered ▁the ▁national ▁guard ▁to ▁P ly mouth ▁County ▁and ▁declared ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁emer gency , ▁which ▁effectively ▁ended ▁the ▁group . ▁ ▁Geography ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁county ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁