A railroad detour moved Jackson County's seat from Texana to Edna

Jackson County was established in 1836 and named after President Andrew Jackson. Texana served as the county seat and was an important supply point during the Texas Revolution. When Count Joseph Telfener's New York, Texas and Mexican Railway built its line from Rosenberg to Victoria in 1882, it chose a route that bypassed Texana. A new stop was named Edna instead.

Residents followed the railroad. In January 1883, county voters chose Edna as the new county seat by 272 to 17. Texana was nearly abandoned within two years. Today the ghost town of Texana lies beneath Lake Texana — the reservoir built in 1979 was named after it. The Texana Museum in Edna preserves the county's history. The Handbook entries for Jackson County and Edna trace how the railroad changed the county seat.