How Ballinger Became the County Seat

The Texas Legislature created Runnels County on February 1, 1858. The county was named for Hiram G. Runnels. He was a former governor of Mississippi and later a Texas legislator. The county was organized in 1880. Runnels City was the first county seat.

That changed in 1886. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built a line through the area. The railroad started a new town five miles south of Runnels City. The town was named Ballinger, after William Pitt Ballinger — an attorney and railroad stockholder. By 1888, Ballinger had taken the county seat from Runnels City. The current courthouse stands at 613 Hutchings Avenue.

Cotton farming drove early growth. Oil production added a second source of income starting in 1927. Today Ballinger is a small rural county seat. It serves ranchers, farmers, and oil-field workers.