1 1 4 ▁count ies ▁and ▁one ▁independent ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁state ▁of ▁Missouri . ▁Following ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁P urchase ▁and ▁the ▁adm itt ance ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁into ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁five ▁count ies ▁were ▁formed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Territ ory ▁at ▁the ▁first ▁general ▁assembly : ▁Cape ▁Gir arde au , ▁New ▁Madrid , ▁Saint ▁Charles , ▁Saint ▁Louis , ▁and ▁Ste . ▁Gene v ieve . ▁Most ▁subsequent ▁count ies ▁were ▁app ort ioned ▁from ▁these ▁five ▁original ▁count ies . ▁Six ▁more ▁count ies ▁were ▁added ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 6 ▁Pl atte ▁P urchase , ▁the ▁acquired ▁lands ▁of ▁which ▁formed ▁the ▁north west ▁tip ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁consisted ▁of ▁Andrew , ▁At ch ison , ▁Buch an an , ▁Hol t , ▁N od away , ▁and ▁Pl atte ▁count ies . ▁ ▁In ▁Missouri , ▁the ▁county ▁level ▁of ▁government ▁comes ▁between ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁the ▁state . ▁Its ▁primary ▁respons ib ilities ▁include ▁maintain ing ▁roads , ▁providing ▁security , ▁pro sec uting ▁crim inals , ▁and ▁collect ing ▁tax es . ▁Elect ed ▁officials ▁at ▁this ▁level ▁include ▁a ▁sh er iff , ▁pro sec uting ▁att orney , ▁and ▁ass essor . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁count ies ▁in ▁Missouri ▁are ▁named ▁after ▁polit icians . ▁One ▁such ▁county , ▁Cass , ▁was ▁originally ▁named ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁County ▁after ▁President ▁Martin ▁Van ▁Bur en , ▁and