Grimes County Was Named for a Signer of Texas Independence

The Texas legislature created Grimes County on April 6, 1846. It was named for Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Anglo settlers had been arriving since the early 1820s under Stephen F. Austin's land grants. The county's economy was built on cotton and eventually shifted to cattle ranching. Oil was discovered in 1952, and lignite mining began in the 1980s.

Anderson, the county seat, sits in the center of the county. It was named for Kenneth L. Anderson, the last vice president of the Republic of Texas, who died at the historic Fanthorp Inn. Anderson was once among the largest towns in Texas during the stagecoach era. The Handbook of Texas at tshaonline.org has detailed entries on both the county and the town.