Tyler County was home ground of civilized tribes of Indians and was visited in 1756 by Spanish explorers trying to keep French trading expeditions out of Texas. In 1831 it was the site of Fort Teran, commanded by Colonel Ellis Peter Bean, a famous and colorful adventurer. The county was created and organized in 1846 and named for President John Tyler, who signed the resolution annexing Texas to the United States. A 200-acre plot for the county seat was donated by early settler Josiah Wheat, and it was named Woodville for George T. Wood, sponsor of the bill in the First Legislature of Texas that created the county; Wood later served as Governor of Texas from 1847 to 1849. In the Big Thicket, the county is home of the annual Dogwood Festival, and its economy is based on timber, oil, and livestock.
