Rains County

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, most counties just kind of appear on a map, quiet as you please, but Rains County has a little more to its story than that. See, before there was a Rains County, there were four other counties sitting out here in East Texas, minding their own business.

Wood, Hopkins, Hunt, and Van Zandt. Four counties, each one giving up a piece of itself. And out of those four pieces, something new got put together.

On June 9, 1870, Rains County was created. Then they let it sit just long enough to get organized, and on December 1, 1870, it was official. Organized.

Ready for business. Now, a county needs a name, and this one got a good one. Rains County was named in honor of Emory Rains, born in 1800, died in 1878.

And Emory Rains was not just any man they could pull a name from. He was a member of the Texas Congress and the Legislature. A man who had already done his part in the making of this state before this county ever bore his name.

And I'll tell you what, they didn't stop at just naming the county after him. The county seat itself, that town right at the heart of Rains County, they called it Emory. So wherever you're drivin' through out here, just know the land and the town are both speakin' the same man's name.

What the marker says

Rains County Formed from Wood, Hopkins, Hunt and Van Zandt counties Created June 9, 1870 Organized December 1, 1870 Named in honor of Emory Rains 1800-1878 Member of the Texas Congress and Legislature Emory, the county seat