How Hamilton County Got Its Start

The county is named for James Hamilton Jr., a former governor of South Carolina. He invested over $200,000 of his own gold to help finance Texas during its fight for independence from Mexico. The county was organized in 1856, two decades after Texas independence.

Early settlers raised cattle and sheep. Cotton farming grew quickly in the 1880s and 1890s. By 1910, nearly 80,000 acres were planted in cotton. Today the county's agricultural income comes mostly from livestock. The Leon, Lampasas, and Bosque rivers run through the county, cutting wide valleys bordered by limestone cliffs. For more detail, see the Handbook of Texas entry from the Texas State Historical Association.