Mills County

Mills County, located in central Texas, is surrounded on the north by Comanche County, on the east by Hamilton County, on the south by San Saba County and Lampasas County, and on the west by Brown County.

Cities, Towns & Communities

Bozar | Caradan | Center City | Democrat | Ebony | Goldthwaite – county seat | Mullin | North Bennett (Head) | North Brown | Pleasant Grove | Priddy | Star

History

In 1887 the Texas state legislature carved Mills County from lands formerly assigned to Brown, Comanche, Hamilton, and Lampasas counties. Goldthwaite became the county seat. In 1890 5,493 people lived in Mills County. By that time, the area’s agricultural economy was already fairly well-established. The county had 680 farms and ranches, encompassing 142,299 acres, that year. Ranching was an important part of county life; almost 25,000 cattle and 23,000 sheep were reported. Crop farming was also well-established in the county by this time. Cotton had first been planted in the area in 1864; by 1890 7,000 acres in Mills County were planted in the fiber, 7,200 acres in corn, 3,500 acres in oats, and 2,800 acres in wheat. After 1890 cotton became increasingly important and soon supplanted cattle as the county’s leading industry. Almost 22,000 acres were planted in cotton in 1900 and almost 46,000 in 1910. By that time there were 1,484 farms in Mills County, and the population had increased to 9,694. 

Mills County. Formed from Brown, Comanche, Hamilton and Lampasas counties. Created March 15, 1887. Organized August 30, 1887. Named in honor of John T. Mills, 1817-1871, Judge of the Third and Seventh Judicial Districts in the Republic of Texas. Goldthwaite, county seat. – Historical Marker Text. Marker erected in 1934, on the Mills County Courthouse grounds.

Mills County Jail, 1888. First structure built by newly organized county, before county seat was chosen. – Historical Marker Text, marker erected. 

Mills County Courthouse Mills County was formed in 1887, and citizens built a county jail in Goldthwaite the following year. In 1889, Goldthwaite was chosen county seat, and Oscar Ruffini designed the first courthouse; it served at this site from 1890 through 1912, when it was destroyed by fire. The county hired noted San Antonio architect Henry T. Phelps to design this courthouse, completed in 1913 by the Gordon-Jones Construction Company. Phelps chose the Classical Revival style for the three-story structure with basement, using a rectangular form, a central, ornamental pediment and fluted, engaged columns. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 2002. 

Location

Goldthwaite, TX 31° 26′ 59.5896″ N, 98° 34′ 15.1536″ W

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