San Jacinto County Was Built on Timber, Then Found Oil

The Texas legislature created San Jacinto County on August 13, 1870, from parts of Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, and Walker counties. It was named for the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, which ended the war for Texas independence. Coldspring became the county seat. The original courthouse burned in 1915, and the town moved to higher ground soon after.

Timber was the main industry for decades. Major lumber operations moved into the Piney Woods here in the 1870s and after. Farming was secondary and not very productive compared to other parts of Texas. Oil was first discovered in the county in 1940 and became more important after 1970. The Atakapa and Patiri peoples lived here before Anglo-American settlement began in the 1820s and 1830s.