Welcome to Limestone County

William F. Reagan

1887 Map of Limestone CountyCourtesy of Limestone County Museum

Limestone County

Limestone County is located in a rural area of Central Texas. It was created by the Texas Legislature on April 11, 1846. At one time, numerous farming communities were spread all across the county, but today only a handful of small towns remain. On this tour you will visit these towns and some of the county’s more interesting sites.

When Limestone County was created in 1846, Springfield was selected as the first county seat. The Springfield Cemetery is now the only remaining physical evidence of this early community.

SpringfieldSpringfield

The town of Kosse was established by the Houston & Texas Central Railroad in 1869. It is located in the southern part of the county and currently has a population of 516.

Kosse

Downtown Kosse

First Baptist Church

Community Center

Kosse is also the birthplace of Bob Wills.

Thornton was established by the H&TC Railroad in 1871. It is 8 miles north of Kosse and has a population of 525.

Thornton

Old Thornton School

Downtown Thornton

Lake Limestone is the largest recreational attraction in the county. People from all over come to enjoy fishing, boating, and skiing. Many people have also built retirement and vacation homes along its shores.

Lake Limestone

This church building was built by members of several denominations who took turns using it for worship. It was also used by the Old Union community as a school and is probably the only one-room school building left in the county. Church of Christ members still use the building for worship.

Old Union Church

The H&TC Railroad established the town of Groesbeck in 1871. It is located 8 miles north of Thornton and has a population of 4,358.

Groesbeck

H&TC Railroad Depot - 1910Photo Courtesy of Limestone County Museum

Navasota Street – 1911Photo Courtesy of Limestone County Museum

Navasota Street – 2008

Groesbeck is the county seat of Limestone County. The present courthouse was built in 1925.

The Limestone County Historical Museum is located on Navasota Street in Groesbeck. It has a large collection of artifacts that documents the history of Limestone County.

Limestone County Historical Museum

Fort Parker is located 3 miles north of Groesbeck. The original fort was built by members of the Parker Colony who settled in the area in 1834. On May 19, 1836, the fort was attacked by Comanche and Kiowa Indians. Five of the settlers were killed, two were wounded and five were taken captive. One of the captives was a 9 year old girl who grew up as a Comanche and even married a Comanche chief. Her name was Cynthia Ann Parker , and her son, Quanah, became the last great chief of the Comanche.

Old Fort Parker

Old Fort Parker

The Fort Parker Cemetery was established when soldiers from Fort Houston buried the dead from the attack on Fort Parker . A monument to honor the members of the Parker Colony was erected in the cemetery by the State of Texas in 1936.

Fort Parker Cemetery

Fort Parker Monument

Mass Grave of the Five Killed During the Attack on Fort

Parker

This cabin was built by Mordecai Yell, a Methodist circuit preacher. It is believed that the logs he used to build it came from the original Fort Parker.

Yell Cabin

Fort Parker State ParkFort Parker State Park was created in 1935 on land donated by the City of Mexia and three local landowners. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed all the recreational facilities in the late 1930s, and built a dam across the Navasota River in 1939, creating Fort Parker Lake.

Cabins Fort Parker Dam

Mexia is 12 miles north of Groesbeck and with a population of 6,708 is the largest town in the county. Mexia was established by the H&TC Railroad in 1871. In 1903 the Trinity & Brazos Valley Railroad built another line through the town.

MEXIA

H&TC and T&BV Train DepotsPhoto Courtesy of Limestone County Museum

Commerce Street – 1906Photo Courtesy of Limestone County Museum

During the 1920s, Mexia enjoyed one of Texas’ early oil booms. Remnants of the old oil fields can still be seen in the area.

Photo Courtesy of Limestone County Museum

Photo Courtesy of Limestone County Museum

Oil Derrick from Oil Boom Days

MEXIA

Presbyterian Church

Mexia City Hall

Mexia Post Office

Downtown Mexia

Even though she didn’t live there for very long, Anna Nicole Smith claimed Mexia as her hometown. She started school in Mexia as a ninth-grader, but dropped out during her sophomore year. Her name at that time was Vickie Lynn Hogan. While she was working as a waitress at Jim’s Krispy Fried Chicken, she met her first husband Billy Smith, who was a cook at the restaurant.

Anna Nicole Smith

Jim’s Krispy Fried Chicken(The chicken is very good.)

Cindy Walker was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Texas Music Hall of Fame and was a resident of Mexia for over forty years. She wrote over 500 songs that were recorded by various artists including Bob Wills, Eddy Arnold, Elvis, Roy Orbison, and Jim Reeves. She died in 2006 and is buried in the Mexia Cemetery.

Cindy Walker

Tombstone of Cindy Walker – Mexia Cemetery

The Mexia State School is one of the largest employers in the county. It was originally built as a German POW camp during World War II. A few of the buildings from the POW days still remain.

Mexia State School

Old German POW Barracks

German Officers’ Club

In 1889, a group of Limestone County Confederate veterans formed the Joseph E. Johnston Confederate Veterans Camp. In 1892, they purchased the first 20 acres of what would become the Confederate Reunion Grounds, and an eight-sided dance pavilion was constructed in 1893. Confederate veterans from all over the state attended the reunions held each year. Today, the park is still used for recreation, historical reenactments, and family reunions.

Confederate Reunion Grounds

Entrance Dance Pavilion

The Booker T. Washington Park was created in 1898 as a permanent place for African Americans to celebrate Juneteenth. June 19, 1865 is the day that slaves in Texas were emancipated.

Booker T. Washington Park

Tehuacana is located six miles west of Mexia and has a population of 307. It was named for the Tehuacana Indians who originally lived in the area. In an election to choose the state capital in 1850, the town received the third highest number of votes. It was also chosen in 1869 as the original site of Trinity University.

Tehuacana

College Hall – Trinity University

Coolidge is located 7 miles west of Tehuacana and has a population of 880. It was established by the Trinity & Brazos Valley Railroad in 1903. Coolidge is the only Limestone County town that still has its railroad depot, which was recently restored and is now being used for city offices.

Coolidge

T&BV Railroad Depot Downtown Coolidge

Prairie Hill is located 12 miles west of Coolidge and has a population of 782. It developed as a farming community on the blackland prairie of northern Limestone County.

Prairie Hill

Prairie Hill Baptist Church Prairie Hill Community Center(formerly Church of Christ)

Thank you for visiting Limestone County.

I hope you enjoyed your tour.