Refugio County takes its name from a Spanish mission founded in 1793

Refugio County gets its name from a Spanish Catholic mission. The mission was called Nuestra Senora del Refugio. It was founded in 1793. The county was organized in 1836. That made it one of the first counties of the Republic of Texas. The county seat has always been the town of Refugio, except for a brief period in 1871.

Before Anglo settlers came, the Karankawa people lived along the bays and coast. A key fight happened here during the Texas Revolution. The Battle of Refugio was fought on March 14, 1836. Early settlers earned a living from ranching and the hide-and-tallow trade. Cotton later became a big crop. Then oil took over in the twentieth century, starting with the Greta oilfield in 1928. The Handbook of Texas has the full history of the county.