Early Tom Green County Covered 60,000 Square Miles

Tom Green County began as a giant on the map. In 1874, the Legislature carved it from land tied to Bexar County. But the law left out a northern boundary. On paper, the new county stretched over more than 60,000 square miles. Its area covered all or part of 66 counties on today's map. Lawmakers added the missing line in 1876. More counties later split away until Tom Green reached its modern size.

The name came from Thomas Green. He fought in the Texas Revolution and helped fire the Twin Sisters cannons at San Jacinto. In the Civil War, he became a Confederate brigadier general and led troops in Louisiana. He was killed in 1864 during an attack on federal gunboats at Blair's Landing on the Red River.

The 1874 name put all of that history on the map: the Texas Revolution, public office, and Confederate service. The huge boundary did not last, but the name did. One West Texas county once covered enough land to become dozens of counties.