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Texas Counties
Texas is divided into two hundred and fifty-four counties, more than any other state. Texas was originally divided into municipalities, a unit of local government under Spanish and Mexican rule. When the Republic of Texas gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of these would later be divided into new counties. The most recent county to be created was Kenedy County in 1921. The most recent county to be organized was Loving County in 1931Lee County, Texas
Lee County Education, Geography, and History
Lee County is a county located in the state of Texas. Based on the 2010 census, its population was 16,612. Its county seat is Giddings. The county is named for Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Etymology - Origin of Lee County Name
Robert Edward Lee, the commanding general of the Confederate forces during the Civil War
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Lee County History
Lee County is a county located in the US state of Texas. Its county seat is Giddings. Lee County is named for Robert E. Lee, the commander-in-chief of the Confederate army.
Handbook of Texas Online
During the Civil War and Reconstruction the Lee County area was politically
divided. As voting records demonstrate, residents of the area were sharply at odds on the secession
issue. Although Bastrop and Fayette counties both voted against secession by small margins, Burleson and Washington
counties voted overwhelmingly in favor of it. Among those speaking out against secession was Tirus H. Mundine
of Lexington, a leader of the Constitutional Union party, who as a
representative to the Texas legislature voted against secession. When the war broke out the majority of the
residents in the region supported the Confederacy, and a number of companies were raised in the area. Company H of
the Second Texas Infantry was organized in Burleson County, which included
Lexington and the surrounding region. Many other Lee County men served in Company E of the Fifth Texas Infantry, the
"Dixie Blues," who were recruited in Washington County. Although no battles took place in this area during the Civil
War, the war and its aftermath depressed the local economy. Not until the early 1870s did the economy begin to
recover. In 1871 the new town of Giddings was founded, in what was then Washington County. Discussion began about
the need for a new county so that residents would not have to travel so far to the county seat. A meeting of
citizens from western Burleson and Washington counties and northeastern Bastrop and Fayette counties, held in
January 1873, resulted in a resolution calling for the establishment of a new county to be named in honor of Robert
E. Lee. The legislature passed the bill by April 1874. A boundary dispute,
however, began over the western segment of Burleson County, which lawmakers had originally intended to include in a
new county called Franklin County, to be formed just north of Lee County. When the Franklin County bill was
indefinitely postponed, questions arose about what to do with the territory. Senator Seth Shepard
introduced a bill to make the disputed area part of Lee County. The measure passed quickly and became law on May 2,
1874. More at
Christopher Long, "LEE COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcl06),
accessed January 24, 2016. Uploaded on August 31, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 634 square miles (1,642 km2), of which, 628
square miles (1,628 km2) of it is land and 6 square miles (14 km2) of it (0.87%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Milam County (north)
- Burleson County (northeast)
- Washington County (east)
- Fayette County (southeast)
- Bastrop County (southwest)
- Williamson County (northwest)
Education
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