How Lampasas County Came to Be

The Texas Legislature created Lampasas County on February 1, 1856. It was carved out of parts of Travis, Bell, and Coryell counties. The county seat was first called Burleson, then renamed Lampasas. Both the county and the town take their name from the Lampasas River. Spanish explorers named the river in the early 1700s. The name may come from a Spanish word for water lilies or cockleburs found in the area.

Early settlers were drawn to the area's mineral springs. The springs had a reputation for healing. The county grew as a cattle ranching and farming area. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway arrived in 1882. That changed Lampasas into a regional trading center. Growth slowed a few years later when rail construction moved farther west. The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas covers the county's full history.