Morris County was formed in 1875 from Titus County and has had Daingerfield as its seat ever since

The county is named for William W. Morris, a district judge and legislator who pushed for railroad development in East Texas. Daingerfield was designated the county seat when the county organized in May 1875, and it has remained the seat ever since. The county covers 256 square miles of forested, hilly land in northeastern Texas.

Two railroads (the St. Louis and Southwestern, and the Louisiana and Arkansas) were built through the county in the late 1800s, connecting it to broader markets. The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas has a full entry on the county's formation and early history.