The county embraces 406 square miles, divided into fourteen townships. It is located southwest of Indianapolis, its northeastern boundary touching Marion County. The incorporated city is Martinsville, 4,962; towns: Mooresville, 1,910; Morgantown, 748; Brooklyn, 545, and Paragon, 366. The county population in 1890 was 18,643; 1900, 20,457; 1910, 21,182; 1920, 20,010; 1930, 19,424.

Martinsville is commonly known as the "Artesian City" of medicated waters because of mineral wells, one 700 feet deep, which produce flowing waters. Many spas and sanatoriums, built after discovery of the precious waters with their curative powers, have attracted thousands of afflicted people who come to partake of the waters and get relief for their ailments.

Martinsville is thirty miles southwest of Indianapolis and is served by two railroads. It is not notably industrial, though it has some industries, including flour, saw, and planing mills, woodenware factory, hickory chair factory, and brick plant. There are also several points of interest in the city such as the first paved mile of the Dixie Highway. A marker, one-half mile from the courthouse, commemorates the completion of this mile. Selling bricks at twenty-five cents each raised the funds for that pavement and the names of the buyers were burned into the bricks.

Two other places are of note. One is a residence, notable because it was formerly a tavern on the "Old Trail," the other, a bakery, which has not been altered for more than a century. Northeast of the city is the Grassyfork Fisheries, which was the pioneer home of the pioneer home of the Shireman Family.

This county had twenty-four manufacturing establishments according to figures of the 1935 federal census. A total of 406 wage earners were employed on payrolls totaling $258,620. The value of the products was $1,546,298.

Morgan County had 2,343 farms averaging 98.4 acres each. Their value was $9,666,768. A total of 58,171 head of livestock was reported.

The total county tax valuation for 1936 was $14,698,908.