Hamilton

Hamilton, the county seat of Hamilton County, is at the intersection of U.S. Highway 281, State highways 22 and 36, and Farm roads 218 and 932, in the Pecan Creek valley in the center of the county. The first settlers came to the area in 1855, and the first store in Hamilton was opened the same year by James M. Rice and Henry Standefer. Hamilton became the county seat when the county was founded in 1858 and was named, like the county, for South Carolina governor James Hamilton. The post office was established in 1861, and by 1873 the population was 200. The Civil War and Indian attacks, which continued until 1876, slowed the growth of Hamilton. During the 1890s two attempts were made to establish a new county seat, on Cowhouse Creek and on the banks of the Leon River, but both failed. By 1896 Hamilton had a population of 1,100, a grocery, two saloons, and three general stores. In 1899 a flood destroyed many of the homes in Hamilton and drowned one resident.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.