Early History of Kimble County

Kimble County's ranchers voted their interests. In the 1880 presidential election 75 of its 175 voters chose James Baird Weaver of the Greenback party, who favored inflation to help farmers and ranchers. In 1892, angry that Democrats had failed to keep a wool tariff, local ranchers voted for Weaver again as the People's party candidate, and the Populists carried the county in statewide races in 1892 and 1894. Otherwise it backed Democrats for president from 1876 through 1944, except for Herbert Hoover in 1928, and voted Republican in every presidential race from 1972 through 2004.

What the plaque says

Early History of Kimble County Created in 1858 out of Bexar County, Kimble County was attached temporarily to Gillespie County for judicial purposes. It was named for Lt. George C. Kimble, slain March 6, 1836, in the siege of the Alamo. The county was organized in 1876, and the first regular term of district court was held, spring 1877, under a live oak tree 1 3/4 miles north of here. Judge W. A. Blackburn presided, aided by Texas Rangers. The first county officials, elected February 15, 1876, were Will Potter, judge; Frank Latta, sheriff and tax collector; E. K. Kountz, clerk; N. Q. Patterson, treasurer; M. J. Denman, surveyor; and William Graham, attorney. The county commissioners were James R. Steffey of precinct 1; Felix Burton of precinct 2; H. E. Pearl of precinct 3; and A. Vancourt of precinct 4. The first courthouse, a frame building erected in 1878, was destroyed, with all the county records, by fire on April 22, 1884. Commissioners court passed an order on May 13, 1884, to replace the old building with a new, two-story stone structure. On June 2, 1888, this also was partially destroyed by fire, and on April 11, 1889, it was ordered repaired under the direction of B. A. Davey. this building stood until replaced by the present courthouse in 1929. (1968)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Kimble County Historical Museum — 1.0 mi
  A free county museum in Junction, the town at the meeting of the North and South Llano, with the papers, photographs and tools of a ranching county.
• Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve — 26 mi
  A limestone cave on the James River where about four million Mexican free-tailed bats raise their young each summer, kept open to visitors by a family's gift.
• Fort McKavett State Historic Site — 31 mi
  The post Sherman called the prettiest in Texas, home to soldiers of all four Buffalo Soldier regiments and then to a town that lived in its buildings until 1973.

More markers nearby

• O.C. Fisher — steps away
• John Sterling Durst Pioneer Minister — steps away
• Stevenson, Coke R., Texas Statesman — steps away
• Colonel John Griffith — steps away