Eastland

Eastland, the county seat of Eastland County, was named for William M. Eastland, a Texas War for Independence hero who joined the Mier Expedition against Mexico and was executed in the Black Bean lottery at Rancho Salado in 1842. Among the most noted early local people were Comanches, who resisted occupation of the area by white settlers, and the last recorded Indian raid in the county was in 1874. Eastland was chosen as county seat in an election on Aug. 2, 1875, and with 250 people it was incorporated on June 6, 1891, when W.Q. Connellee was elected mayor. After a discovery in 1917, one of Texas's fabled oil booms occurred nearby, with Eastland serving as the center for legal matters; with oil priced at $2.60 a barrel, many wells flowed at 10,000 barrels a day. The city quickly grew to 25,000 people, and five banks prospered. People who came seeking black gold included evangelist Billy Sunday, circus owner John Ringling, and sports figures Jess Willard and Tex Rickard. In 1928, when the old courthouse cornerstone was opened, an international wonder-story followed with the reported survival of Old Rip, a horned toad placed there with other mementoes on July 19, 1897. Continuing oil production, agricultural processing, and clay products bolster the present economy.

Eastland, Texas · United States