Kaufman, Texas, Kaufman County seat. (original) (raw)

Former First National Bank building in Kaufman, Texas

History in a Pecan Shell

A brief timeline of significant events in Kaufman's history:

1840: forty families led by Mississippian Dr. William P. King, arrived and built a fort on a hill. It was called Kings Fort, and the resulting community that built around it was called Kingsboro.
1846: Henderson County was established and Kingsboro became part of it.
1848: Land from Henderson County was used to establish Kaufman County
1849: postal service began.
1852: Kingsboro becomes the county seat and was renamed for the county.
1860: the first newspaper is published
1881: The railroad arrives and two years later Kaufman connects to Dallas.
1884: Kaufman has 1,000 citizens which grows to 2,300 by 1900.
1963: Kaufman is hit by a tornado.

See Kaufman County Courthouse ›

Kaufman, Texas Odd Fellows Hall

The 1887 Kaufman County Courthouse, Texas

The courthouse (no longer standing) and the courthouse square in 1918
Photo courtesy THC

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