Palo Pinto County

Duane's take

The way the official marker tells it, here's the story of Palo Pinto County. On August 27, 1856, this county was created out of Navarro and Bosque counties, and it got itself organized the following year, 1857. Now, the name.

Palo Pinto. That's Spanish, and it refers to the spotted oak, a common tree out this way, one with bark that carries a mottled, patchy appearance. You look around the land here and you start to understand how a place earns a name like that.

The county seat has its own naming story worth telling. First called Golconda, back in 1856, it was renamed Palo Pinto in 1858. Two names, two years, one town figuring out who it wanted to be.

Long before any of that official business, though, the land itself was doing the talking. Good hunting and abundant water made this area a favored locality for Indian peoples. It was that kind of country, the kind that draws folks in and holds them.

The first Anglo-American settlers arrived in the 1850s, and among them were names that would ring out across the whole of Texas. Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving, Texas cattlemen and trail-blazers, both of them, were part of that early wave. Then came 1880, and Palo Pinto County got two things at once.

The discovery of mineral water and the arrival of the Texas and Pacific Railroad brought an influx of settlers rolling in, and a strong economy began to take hold. A spotted oak, a mineral spring, a railroad whistle cutting through the hills. That's Palo Pinto County, and now you know why it's worth a long look out the window.

What the marker says

Created August 27, 1856, from Navarro and Bosque counties; organized in 1857. Spanish name Palo Pinto refers to spotted oak, a common regional tree having bark with a mottled appearance. Good hunting and abundant water made area a favored indian locality. The first anglo-american settlers arrived in 1850's, including Texas cattlemen and trail-blazers Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving. The discovery, in 1880, of mineral water and arrival of Texas & Pacific railroad brought an influx of settlers and helped establish a strong economy. The county seat, first named Golconda in 1856, was renamed Palo Pinto in 1858. Erected by the State of Texas -1973