Limestone County

Limestone County, located in Central Texas about thirty miles due east of Waco surrounded by Navarro County on the north, Freestone County on the northeast, Leon County on the southeast, Robertson County on the south, Falls County on the southwest, McLennan County on the west and Hill County on the northwest. Mexia, its largest community, is approximately eighty miles south of Dallas. Groesbeck, the county seat, is near the county’s center.

Cities, Towns & Communities

Ben Hur | Big Hill | Coolidge | Forest Glade | Groesbeck – county seat | Harmony | Kosse | Mexia | McKenzie Prairie | Mount Calm (mostly in Hill County) | Oletha | Prairie Hill | Sandy | Springfield | Tehuacana | Thornton Hill | Sandy | Springfield | Tehuacana | Thornton | Tidwell (Steele Creek, Shady Grove, Pleasant Grove) | Union

History

Limestone County. Formed from Robertson County. Created April 11, 1846. Organized August 18, 1846. Named for the rock formation in the region. County seat Springfield, 1846, Groesbeck since 1874. – Historical Marker Text. Marker erected 1936. Located 2.5 mi. S. of Groesbeck, State Hwy 14.

Limestone County. On April 11, 1846, Limestone County was formed from Robertson County, and a week later Springfield was established as the county seat. This town had a population of 120 when it was incorporated in 1848. In 1873, however, when the courthouse burned and the Houston and Texas Central Railway bypassed the town, an election was ordered and Groesbeck became the county seat. The organization of the county was completed on August 18, 1846, with the election of county officials. Limestone County originally included all the land between the Brazos and Trinity rivers on the east and west, and the land north of Robertson County to Navarro County. In 1848 part of northern and western Limestone County was taken to form McLennan and Falls counties, and in 1850 part of the eastern section was taken to form part of Freestone County. The boundaries were changed to their present form on November 2, 1866. 

County Histories

A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas, 1883. Digital book on line from The Portal to Texas History.

A History of Limestone County, 1833–1860, by Hampton Steele.

A History of Limestone County, 1959, by Ray A. Walter.

Location

Groesbeck, TX 31° 31′ 27.6168″ N, 96° 32′ 1.9284″ W

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