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Hamilton County TX, is bounded on the north by Comanche, Erath, and Johnson counties, on the west by Mills county, and on the south by Lampasas and Coryell counties. The county was named for James Hamilton, a South Carolina governor who invested some $216,000 in gold to finance the Texas struggle for independence from Mexico. It covers 844 square miles wooded with pecan, live oak, elm, cedar, and post oak. Soils range from the sandy loams and sands and the dark, limy, crumbly, clays of the prairie, to the rich alluvial bottoms of the river valleys.  The county is drained by the Leon, Lampasas, and Bosque rivers. Many of its deep, wide stream valleys are bordered by limestone cliffs that abut the intervening flat divides.  The agriculture of the local economy earns about $31 million yearly, 90 percent of which derives from cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, and poultry. Crops include sorghums, small grains, cotton, hay, and pecans; irrigated land totals about 5,000 acres. The county's agribusiness also includes more than forty dairies. The manufacture of garments, wooden molding, steel products, and other goods earns the county about $5 million annually. Hamilton County has limited and declining oil production; production was about 5,000 barrels in 1982 and 2,067 in 1990. Major roads include U.S Highway 281 (north to south) and State highways 36 (northwest to southeast) and 22 (east to west).

Though the extent of prehistoric settlement in the area that is now Hamilton County is unclear, at least five Indian burial mounds have been found on the banks of Cowhouse Creek, about 3½ miles from Pottsville. Waco and Tawakoni Indians lived on the Brazos and Trinity rivers some sixty miles to the east and northeast; they traded with the Tonkawas, a nomadic tribe that moved around Central Texas. Comanches also traveled through the Hamilton County area.

The first permanent white settlers in the area were probably Robert Carter and his family, who arrived in 1854. By 1855 a number of others, including James Rice, Henry Standefer, Frederic Bookerman, William Beauchamp, and Asa Langford had settled there. Rice and Standefer opened a store that soon developed into the town of Hamilton; meanwhile, Langford built a sawmill, a blacksmith shop, a store, and a gristmill to form a settlement that came to be known as Langford's Cove (present-day Evant). Population grew rather rapidly, and in 1856 settlers circulated a petition asking that a new county be formed to accommodate their needs. Later that year the Texas legislature approved the request and marked off Hamilton County from land previously assigned to Comanche, Bosque, and Lampasas counties. Two years later a five-man commission selected the town of Hamilton to be the county seat.

By 1860, when the county's first post office was established at the hamlet of Hico, the county included several small but well-established communities; that year the census found 489 residents. Geography helped to determine the pattern of settlement, as pioneers built along the wooded streams that crossed the rolling prairie, leaving the intervening divides to remain open range.

Further growth was impeded by the Civil War, as county men formed militia units to defend themselves against the Indian raids that made life on the frontier dangerous. Indians attacked a school on the Leon River in 1867, for example, and killed the teacher, Ann Whitney, and a neighboring farmer; several children were wounded or captured. Though Indians continued to raid the area periodically until 1875, the threat had been considerably reduced by 1870, and settlers had begun moving into the county in greater numbers.

By 1870, ranchers drove their cattle to market on a branch of the Chisholm Trail that ran between Hico and Carlton. In 1876 a newspaper, the Hamilton Herald, began to publish; a year later the county's wooden jail was replaced by a new stone structure. Though a southern section of the original county was detached to become part of Mills County in 1877, in 1880 the census counted 6,365 residents in Hamilton County. By that year 949 farms and ranches, encompassing more than 139,000 acres, had been established in the county, and commercial farming was beginning to become an important part of the local economy. Almost 7,000 acres in the county was planted in cotton that year, while another 13,000 acres was planted with corn and almost 4,000 acres with wheat. Ranching had also grown; more than 14,200 cattle and almost 11,100 sheep were counted that year. Further growth was encouraged in 1880, when the Texas Central Railroad extended its tracks across the northeastern corner of the county, connecting Hamilton County more closely to national markets. Hico was moved two miles to the railroad, where it became the county's market center.

Between 1880 and 1900 cotton farming, grain production, and sheep and cattle ranching expanded despite periodic droughts and financial difficulties experienced by local farmers. During the 1880s and 1890s many settlers bought farm tracts from speculators who subdivided former rangeland; others purchased public school lands. Fence-cutting disputes occurred, conflicts erupted between cattlemen and the increasing numbers of sheep raisers, and a drought devastated the county from 1881 to 1887. The Journal-News, a Populist paper, was published in Hamilton, and the People's party won some county offices in elections between 1894 and 1900.

The economic development of the county was further encouraged in 1907, when the county gained two new rail connections. That year the Stephenville, North and South Texas Railway connected Hamilton with Stephenville, and the St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas connected Hamilton with Comanche. By 1910 there were 2,237 farms in the county, and the population had grown to 15,315. Though cotton production continued to expand, other parts of the economy declined significantly in the early years of the twentieth century. By 1910 only 1,051 acres was devoted to wheat, and only 17,127 to corn; meanwhile, the number of sheep in the county declined to about 13,000, and the number of cattle dropped to about 19,500.

The Great Depression of the 1930s intensified and extended the area's economic problems; by 1940 only about 24,000 acres of county land was planted in cotton. None of the county's banks failed during the depression, but the county lost two of its rail connections during this period. The Stephenville, North and South Texas line ended its service to Hamilton in 1934, and in 1940 the St. Louis and Southwestern line followed suit. Fortunately, most farm families also raised their own fruits, vegetables, and meats, and the poultry market provided a little badly needed cash. Farmers also benefited from various national relief programs during the depression, including the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. In 1934 the Civil Works Administration's payroll included 747 Hamilton County men, who together earned about $2,000 daily.

Due in part to farm consolidations and an extended drought from 1948 to 1954, the population decline extended into the 1940s and continued for almost thirty years thereafter. 

Communities in the county include Hamilton, the county seat Hico, Evant, Aleman, Fairy, Indian Gap, and Pottsville. Tourist attractions include the Hico Old Settlers' Reunion in August, a livestock show in March, and Hamilton Dove Festival in September.

Relax in North Central Texas - Business Directory

Attractions Granbury Live 114 N. Crockett St., Granbury, TX 76048 www.granburylive.com t: 817.573.0303 toll free: 800.989.8240 e: info@granburylive.com Map Lone Star Lanes 1815 W Lingleville Rd., Stephenville, TX 76401 www.nctxonlineguide.com/lsl.html t: 254.968.0440 e: lonestarlanes_info@yahoo.com Map  top Camping RV Parks Big John's Liquor and RV Park / Whit's Grocery Shak 4133 3rd St, Walnut Springs, TX 76690 www.bigjohnswalnut.com t: 254.797.5000 f: 254.797.0227 e: info@bigjohnswalnut.com Map top Churches Stephenville First Assembly Hwy 377 and 67 (across from the Sheriff's dept) www.cornerstoneforchrist.org  t: 254-918-5433 f: 254-965-0882 e: firstassembly@stephenville.com Map  top Civic Organizations Hico Chamber of Commerce 105 N. Pecan St, Hico, TX 76457 www.hico-tx.com t: 800.361.HICO e: contact@hico-tx.com Map top Eateries Bakeries Tiger Corner / Sub Express / Barnard St. Bakery 1110 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.tigercorner.biz t: 254.897.3324 f: 254.898.8406 e: info@tigercorner.biz Map Restaurants Big Cup Eatery 226 SW Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose, TX 76043 www.nctxonlineguide.com/bigcup.html t: 254.897.3841 c: 254.396.3119 Map Granny's Restaurant Family owned and operated  109 Hereford St, Glen Rose, TX 76043 t: 254.897.9773 Map top Florist Creations Flowers & Gifts Tuxedo Rentals, Invitations, Antiques too! 1001 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.creationsflowers.net t: 254.897.1259 f: 254.897.9603 e: creationsflowers@windstream.net Map top Health Care Chiropractic Coble Chiropractic 507 SW Big Bend Trail, Ste. C, Glen Rose, TX 76043 t: 254.897.7447 f: 254.897.2099 e: coblechiropractic@valornet.com Map Dental Susan Baker, DDS 1104 Bluebonnet St, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.drsusanbaker.com t: 254.898.4646 f: 254.897.7321 e: sjbaker@windstream.net Map Pharmacies Best Value Medical Center Pharmacy Immunizations and Compounds too! 1100 Bluebonnet St, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.bestvaluepharmacies.com  t: 254.897.9917 f: 254.897.9919 Map top Home Services Plumbing Boyd's Plumbing Company Serving Somervell county and the surrounding areas http://boydplumbingco.net t: 254.897.3692 f: 254.897.1279 e: boydplumbingco@aol.com Well Drilling Pollock Well Drilling & Services Inc 2910 Hwy 67 N., Rainbow, TX 76077 t: 254.897.2350 f: 254.897.9613 e: pollockdrilling@valornet.com Map top Professional Services Business Consulting Powers Communication Serving all of North Central Texas www.nctxonlineguide.com/powerscom.html t: 254.436.0000 e: info@nctxonlineguide.com Computer Services John Cunyus - Mobile Computer Repair PO Box 482, Glen Rose, TX 76403 www.johncunyus.com/computerservice.html t: 254.897.4197 Toll Free: 888.896.6081 e: john@johncunyus.com Printing and Advertising Services Color Visual Concepts PO Box 250, Granbury, TX 76048 www.qualityprintingcheap.com Toll Free: 877.232.3624 f: 888.699.0392 top Ranch Services Well Drilling Pollock Well Drilling & Services Inc 2910 Hwy 67 N., Rainbow, TX 76077 t: 254.897.2350 f: 254.897.9613 e: pollockdrilling@valornet.com Map top Real Estate Agents Dinosaur Valley Reatly 1005 Big Bend Trail Ste. 4, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.dinosaurvalleyrealty.com t: 254.897.7158 f: 254.897.3602 c: 817.648.2122 e: scott@dinosaurvalleyrealty.com Map Home Inspectors Burgan Home Inspections Inspecting North / North Central Texas for over 20 years www.nctxonlineguide.com/burganinspections.html t: 254-898-0102 c: 817.379.9799 e: burganinspections@verizon.com Map top Retail Grocery Big John's Liquor and RV Park / Whit's Grocery Shak 4133 3rd St, Walnut Springs, TX 76690 www.bigjohnswalnut.com t: 254.797.5000 f: 254.797.0227 e: info@bigjohnswalnut.com Map Liquor Big John's Liquor and RV Park / Whit's Grocery Shak 4133 3rd St, Walnut Springs, TX 76690 www.bigjohnswalnut.com t: 254.797.5000 f: 254.797.0227 e: info@bigjohnswalnut.com Map top Salons Headcases Hair and Nail Studio 2900 W. Washington Ste 32B, Stephenville TX 76401 t: 254.918.1160 Map top Utilities Southwest Water & Electric Energy Powers Serving all of North Central Texas and the World www.sweepcorp.com e: info@sweepcorp.com top Wedding Services Creations Flowers & Gifts Tuxedo Rentals, Invitations, Antiques too! 1001 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.creationsflowers.net t: 254.897.1259 f: 254.897.9603 e: creationsflowers@windstream.net Map Tiger Corner / Sub Express / Barnard St. Bakery 1110 NE Big Bend Trail, Glen Rose TX 76043 www.tigercorner.biz t: 254.897.3324 f: 254.898.8406 e: info@tigercorner.biz Map top ref: http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/HH/hch3.html